Dose Escalation Could Help Guide Equine Chemotherapy Treatment

Study findings suggest dose escalation can be used in equine lymphoma treatment to achieve higher chemotherapeutic dose intensity while minimizing adverse effects, researchers said.
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equine chemotherapy treatment
Study findings suggest dose escalation can be used in equine lymphoma treatment to achieve higher chemotherapeutic dose intensity while minimizing adverse effects, researchers said. | Photo: iStock

Studies in humans and other animals have shown that the higher the chemotherapy dose, the more significant its tumor-treating effects. But often, high medication doses cause adverse effects, some of which could be life-threatening. And, in horses, it’s still not clear exactly what the optimal equine chemotherapy treatment dose is for most medications. This means horses with cancer might be receiving less medication than they need to effectively fight the tumors in their bodies.The good news is that researchers are getting closer to figuring out the unknowns by using a process called dose escalation.

“Dose escalation is a strategy of gradual dose increases with careful monitoring for toxicity used to determine the highest tolerated dose and, thereby, higher dose intensity (the active drug dose over time) and maximum efficacy,” said Daniela Luethy, DVM, a large animal internal medicine lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, in Kennett Square.

Luethy and colleagues recently studied the effects of cyclophosphamide (an alkylating agent that interferes with the cancer cell’s DNA and inhibits cancer cell growth) dose escalation in nine horses with lymphoma, a type of hematologic (blood) cancer. She presented the team’s findings at the 2018 American College of Veterinary Medicine Forum, held June 14-16 in Seattle, Washington

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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