Radiation therapy trends in dogs and cats at a Korean veterinary oncology center, 2020-2023

Radiation therapy (RT) is a vital modality for tumor control and palliative care in veterinary oncology. Despite increasing interest in Korea, no systematic study has analyzed the trends of RT in companion animals.

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze the trends in RT among dogs and cats treated at the S Animal Cancer Center in Korea from 2020 to 2023.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 376 animals (308 dogs and 68 cats) receiving RT for various tumors. Data collected included species, breed, sex, age, weight, tumor location, tumor type, RT protocols, and concurrent treatments.

The number of patients receiving RT increased from 59 in 2020 to 120 in 2023, reflecting a 103.4% increase over the study period. Sinonasal, intracranial, oral, genitourinary, and skin tumors were the most common, with stereotactic RT being most commonly used for sinonasal and intracranial tumors. Of the patients, 175 (46.5%) received RT alone, 96 (25.5%) with chemotherapy, 64 (17%) with surgery, and 41 (10.9%) with both surgery and chemotherapy. Thirty-one patients (8.2%) underwent multiple RT sessions, primarily for sinonasal tumors (11 cases).

This study provides the first systematic analysis of RT use in companion animals in Korea and establishes a foundational dataset for future work in veterinary radiation oncology. The findings highlight the growing clinical use of RT and underscore the need for further research to optimize treatment protocols and evaluate patient outcomes in Korean veterinary oncology.