Canine visceral hemangiosarcoma treated with surgery alone or surgery and doxorubicin: 37 cases (2005-2014)

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine survival times and prognostic factors of dogs with visceral hemangiosarcoma (HSA) treated with surgery alone or surgery and doxorubicin. Medical records from 2 hospitals from 2005 to 2014 were searched for dogs with histopathologically confirmed visceral HSA. Data relevant to patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and outcomes were abstracted. The most common primary organ affected was the spleen; however, primary tumor location had no influence on prognosis. Twenty-three dogs were treated with surgery alone, while 14 dogs were treated with surgery and doxorubicin. There was a significant difference in survival times between dogs treated with surgery alone and with surgery followed by doxorubicin (66 days versus 274 days). Dogs with stage I tumors (196 days) had a longer median survival time (MST) than dogs with stage II (117 days) and stage III (23 days) disease. The overall MST was 179 days with a 1-year survival rate of 29.2%.