This sounds exciting! If you are near Virginia Tech and your dog has NOT had an amputation yet, give them a call.

Purpose

To determine if histotripsy, a novel treatment that can destroy tissue without radiation or heat, can effectively treat canine osteosarcoma.

Background

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone cancer in dogs. Typically, OS is treated with a combination of surgical removal of the primary tumor and chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Surgical removal of the tumor usually involves limb amputation or limb salvage surgery. Limb salvage surgery can have high complication rates, and not all dogs are suitable for limb amputation. Even though chemotherapy delays metastatic disease development, most dogs with OS ultimately succumb to metastasis.

Histotripsy is a novel treatment that mechanically breaks down tissues and can potentially induce the immune system to attack cancer cells. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of histotripsy to treat dogs with OS, to ultimately advance the development of histotripsy as a non-surgical limb salvage treatment option for OS and an immunotherapy treatment against metastatic disease for OS.

Eligibility

• Dogs of any age, weight, sex, or breed, with diagnosis of appendicular osteosarcoma diagnosed via cytology or biopsy
• Owners have elected standard-of-care treatment for osteosarcoma – limb amputation and chemotherapy (chemotherapy may be administered at another veterinary facility)
• Free from other systemic illness

Exclusion

• Dogs will undergo limb amputation as part of this study. Dogs who have already had amputation or tumor resection are not eligible to enroll.
• Dogs who have received any tumor-directed therapy (e.g. radiation) or immunosuppressive drugs prior to study enrollment
• Evidence of metastatic disease

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