Drug dose and drug choice: Optimizing medical therapy for veterinary cancer

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Novel cancer therapies offer promise, but current treatments for animal neoplasia can be improved.
• Enhancements include modified dosing, drug combinations, and individualized treatment selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review strategies for optimizing current veterinary cancer treatments.
• To explore patient-specific dosing and agent selection methods.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies on individualized dose intensity surrogates (e.g., patient size, adverse effects, pharmacokinetics).
• Discussion of treatment selection strategies: conventional histopathology, protein-based (flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, mass spectrometry), and gene-based (gene expression profiling, sequencing) assessments.

Main Results:

• Identified patient size, adverse effects, and pharmacokinetics as potential efficacy indicators in canine lymphoma.
• Highlighted various diagnostic approaches for personalized cancer treatment selection.

Conclusions:

• Significant improvements in animal neoplasia treatment are achievable through optimized use of existing agents.
• Personalized medicine approaches, utilizing advanced diagnostics, are crucial for enhancing treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.