February 28, 2011
Today is Xan’s first day of IV Ifosfamide treatment. We left our house in San Jose just before 6:00 am to make the 2 hour journey to UC Davis. Always the car-loving dog, Xanadu didn’t seem to find it strange to leave the house so early. We stopped midway for Peet’s Coffee and morning meds, which he happily gobbled up. I am nervous and anxious for this first treatment to be behind us. I have no idea how he will respond to chemo, but based on his attitude thus far, I think he will continue to beat the odds.
After much deliberation and feedback from my online friends at Bone Cancer Dogs – (if you have a dog with Osteosarcoma, I strongly urge you to check out this phenomenal group of individuals), I decided to give this trial a shot. It is a big commitment that comes with a lot of time and expense. We’re looking at a 10 hour day every three weeks for the IV portion, plus two 45 minute inhaled at-home treatments each week for 6 months.
Lucky for me, UC Davis has free wireless access so I can be productive while I wait! Below is more about the study:
Patient Disease
Canine patients with Osteosarcoma with confirmed Metastasis to the lungs
Study Name
Relapsed Osteosarcoma/Amputated with metastasis to the lungs
Purpose of the Study
The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Ifosfamide IV in addition to aerosolized Gemcitabine in dogs with relapsed gross metastatic disease.
Eligibility Requirements Any prospective patient must be examined by the VMTH Oncology or Radiation Oncology service veterinarian, and require the following baseline evaluations at the owners expense before a dog can be considered for enrollment in the trial:
Confirmed diagnosis
- Physical examination with weight recorded
- CBC, Chemistry Panel and Urinalysis All within two weeks of enrollment (referring blood work is acceptable as long as it was run at a commercial lab)
Baseline Evaluation for Eligibility
- Histologically or cytologically confirmed disease
- Amputation
- Visible Metastasis in the Lungs as noted by a radiologist
- Informed owner consent
- Owner must be able to perform treatments at home.
- Return every three weeks for IV treatment of Ifosfamide and bloodwork.
Xanadu, we’ll be following your progress every hop of the way. Keep smiling!
Great info. Thanks for sharing! Please keep us posted on how Xan does with this new treatment.
Hope your day went well! It’s very eerie seeing pictures of Xanadu – our dog Lucky is also a yellow lab who had his right front leg amputated for osteosarcoma exactly one week after Xanadu! Just found your blog today – wishing you the best!