Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography in dogs with nasal tumors

Abstract

Background: Treatment of nasal tumors in dogs is associated with high morbidity and reliable prognostic factors are lacking. Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCECT) can be used to assess tumor perfusion. Objectives: To assess perfusion parameters of nasal tumors (correlating with tumor type) before and during radiotherapy (RT) and find potential correlation with survival. Animals: Twenty-four client-owned dogs with nasal tumors, including 16 epithelial tumors and 8 sarcomas. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study. All dogs had baseline DCECT to assess fractional vascular volume (BV), blood flow (BF), and transit time (TT). Thirteen dogs had repeat DCECT after 12 Gy of megavoltage RT. Survival times were calculated. Results: Median BV was 17.83 mL/100 g (range, 3.63-66.02), median BF was 122.63 mL/100 g/minute (range, 23.65-279.99), and median TT was 8.91 seconds (range, 4.57-14.23). Sarcomas had a significantly lower BF than adenocarcinomas (P =.002), carcinomas (P =.01), and other carcinomas (P =.001), and significantly lower BV than adenocarcinomas (P =.03) and other carcinomas (P =.004). Significant associations were found between epithelial tumors and sarcoma for change in tumor volume (P =.01), width (P =.004), and length (P =.02) in that epithelial tumors decreased in volume whereas sarcomas increased in volume. Perfusion parameters were not correlated with survival. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Nasal sarcomas have lower BV and BF than nasal carcinomas, and sarcomas have a lower size reduction than carcinomas early on during RT. Baseline results and changes in perfusion parameters may not be correlated with survival.