This just came across our desk. Ortho vets in Europe are using a bone cement product typically used in orthopedic surgeries ("cimentoplasty"), as a sort of limb sparing procedure for palliative care in dogs with osteosarcoma. As I understand it, the product gets injected into the tumor area to add stability and pain control for the affected limb.

We plan on investigating further and publishing an interview with the company. It was only studied on 12 dogs but hey it's progress! Hopefully it's coming to the US soon. Here's the press release.

TheraVet Announces Positive Safety and Efficacy Results for BIOCERA-VET® in Canine Osteosarcoma

TheraVet (ISIN: BE0974387194 - ticker: ALVET), a pioneering company in the management of osteoarticular diseases in pets, today announces the positive safety and efficacy results for BIOCERA-VET® used in cimentoplasty as palliative treatment for canine osteosarcoma.

BIOCERA-VET®: a new palliative option for canine osteosarcoma

BIOCERA-VET®, TheraVet’s bone substitute, was assessed in a prospective non-controlled multicentric clinical study in client-owned dogs suffering from osteosarcoma. Twelve dogs were treated by a percutaneous cimentoplasty using BIOCERA-VET® as palliative treatment of osteosarcoma and followed up for 6 months. The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of BIOCERA-VET®cimentoplasty on dog pain, using scores such as veterinary score1 pain and validated owner questionnaires CBPI (Canine Brief Pain Inventory)2 and VAS pain3. Quality of life was assessed by the owner with the CBPI questionnaire. Also, the complications and the adverse events were collected as safety evaluation. In this study, BIOCERA-VET® was used alone, non-combined with chemotherapy.

Among the animals satisfying the different follow-up visits, BIOCERA-VET® cimentoplasty improved significantly the pain as measured by VAS pain and CBPI. Indeed, 67% of the dogs at 1 month and 50% at 2 and 6 months experienced a reduction of at least 50% in pain. The same reduction levels were measured with the pain severity (PSS) and with the pain interference with the function (PIS) scores of the CBPI, although slightly less4. Quality of Life was improved in 78% of the dogs at 1 month and in 50% of the dogs at 2 and 6 months. 

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TheraVet website is here and a 2020 press release about the study launch is here.