Doctors may have discovered a new, more tolerable way to deliver mesothelioma chemotherapy — all thanks to a dog.
Researchers documented a rare case of mesothelioma in a canine. The dog had cancer in the pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium — the linings of the lungs, abdomen, and heart, respectively.
Doctors administered the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel using microfragmented adipose tissue (fat tissue). This method resulted in a slower, sustained release of the drug throughout the body, leading to a long-lasting therapeutic response.
Testing a New Chemotherapy Delivery Method on a Dog With Mesothelioma
Dogs can develop mesothelioma from the same cause as humans: asbestos exposure. The cancer is exceptionally rare in dogs due to their shorter lifespans and the disease’s long latency period.
In this report, the dog had an advanced stage of mesothelioma, with tumors present in three mesothelial linings. Over a span of 22 months, the dog received 17 intracavitary injections of microfragmented adipose tissue carrying paclitaxel.
The therapy was described as “well-tolerated,” with no noticeable toxicity. Drug levels remained low in the circulatory system, meaning the chemotherapy largely stayed in the targeted extravascular regions where it was needed.
Improving Chemotherapy Tolerance and Delivery
Chemotherapy drugs are typically delivered intravenously, circulating through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells. However, this systemic delivery often damages healthy cells, causing significant side effects and weakening patients.
Cancer specialists continue to explore new delivery methods that make chemotherapy safer and more effective. Techniques like heated intraoperative chemotherapy (HIOC) already show promise, and this canine case demonstrates another potential breakthrough: using microfragmented adipose tissue to deliver drugs directly and safely.
“To our knowledge, this is the first time that mesothelioma has been treated using such a procedure, and this should be considered as a novel therapeutic approach,” the study authors wrote.
Sources & Author
- Case Report: Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Drug Delivery in Canine Mesothelioma — A Case Report on Safety, Feasibility, and Clinical Findings. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33569396/. Accessed: 02/22/2021.
