Study Name:  Hemangiosarcoma Metronomic Chemotherapy Study

Purpose of the study:  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of metronomic chemotherapy for the treatment of canine splenic hemangiosarcoma. Metronomic chemotherapy is a method of delivering chemotherapeutic agents at lower doses, but administering the doses more often. This study is designed as a randomized clinical trial. There are two treatment groups. One  group receives doxorubicin (Adriamycin®) chemotherapy every two weeks for five treatments. The other group receives metronomic chemotherapy using etoposide, cyclophosphamide, and piroxicam.

Patient Entry Criteria:  In general, these studies are available to qualifying patients living within 100 miles of the Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. The patient must have the disease of hemangiosarcoma of the spleen, which has been confirmed by biopsy and histopathology. The spleen must be surgically removed and the disease may not have spread to any other area of the body. In order to qualify for this study, the patient is not to have received radiation therapy, 

any chemotherapy, or any holistic medical treatment for splenic hemangiosarcoma prior to entry into the study. The patient must not have received steroids (like prednisone) for three weeks prior to presentation. No other medical conditions may be present that might prevent the patient from completing the study. And no additional medication related to the disease may be given once the patient is enrolled into the study. For more information regarding entry criteria, please contact our Consult Coordinator at 970-297-4195.

 Owner Responsibilities:

 This study requires frequents visits to the Animal Cancer Center. The client must schedule and keep all appointments related to the study. Should the owner decide to withdraw from the study, the owner assumes responsibility for all costs incurred.

Financial Incentives:  The owner pays for the initial diagnosis and surgical treatment of the disease. Additionally, the owner is responsible for the cost of the staging tests used to determine if the patient meets the eligibility requirements of the study (usually about $600). Once eligible, the study pays for all study-related examinations, tests, and chemotherapy treatments for up to one year. For more information regarding financial incentives, please contact our Consult Coordinator at 970-297-4195.