Common Neoplasms Often Treated with Radiation Therapy
Tumor Type | Radiosensitivity | Comments |
|---|---|---|
Nasal adenocarcinoma | Intermediate | Usually respond well but often recur |
Nasal squamous cell carcinoma | Low | Response is often minimal |
Nasal chondrosarcoma | Intermediate to high | Some subtypes respond better than others |
Nasal osteosarcoma | Low | Response may be better if after surgery |
Oral melanoma | Low to intermediate | Poor response usually unless after surgery |
Oral squamous cell carcinoma | Low | Especially poor in cats; aggressive treatment required |
Osteosarcoma | Low | Metastatic disease in >90%; pain palliation |
Chondrosarcoma | Intermediate | Best when small; metastasis a problem |
Fibrosarcoma | Low to intermediate | Depends on tissue of origin |
Injection-related fibrosarcoma | Low to intermediate | Best if done after first surgery, poor later |
Thyroid carcinoma | Intermediate to high | Usually respond very well; 131I possible |
Thyroid adenoma | High | Treat with 131I (>95% cure) |
Salivary adenocarcinoma | Intermediate | Usually respond well, especially in cats |
Brain tumor – meningioma | Intermediate to high | Usually stabilizes mass; good clinical result |
Brain tumor – glioma | Low to intermediate | Depends on size, location, and clinical signs |
Brain tumor – lymphoma | High | Most effective treatment for CNS lymphoma |
Brain tumor – metastasis | Intermediate | Effective but short term due to other disease |
Spinal cord mesenchymal tumor | Intermediate | Reasonable response but dose limited by cord |
Spinal neurofibrosarcoma | Low to intermediate | Short-term response good but commonly recur |
Lymphosarcoma | High | Excellent response but can only treat locally |
Cutaneous lymphoma | High | Often curative |
Nasal lymphoma | High | Good response, often very durable |
Thymoma | Low to high | Low for scirrhous form, high for lymphocytic |
Mediastinal chemodectoma | Low | Large masses, dose limited by heart and lungs |
Adrenal carcinoma | Low | Difficult to accurately localize treatment |
Transitional cell carcinoma | Intermediate | May respond well initially but recur |
Prostatic adenocarcinoma | Low to intermediate | Data available on response is quite variable |
Mast cell tumors | Intermediate to high | Very good for low grade, less for high grade |
Peripheral nerve sheath tumor | Intermediate to high | Strongly recommended after surgery |
Soft-tissue sarcoma | Low to high | Improves control after surgery, not alone |
Apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma | Intermediate to High | Usually treat regional lymph nodes as well |
Plasma Cell Tumor | Intermediate to high | May recur elsewhere |
Lick granuloma | Intermediate to high | Treatment of last resort, often works well |
Transmissible venereal tumor | High | Very good control even for large tumors |
Equine sarcoid | High | Used in refractory tumors, brachytherapy |
Equine nasal carcinoma | Intermediate to high | Beam treatment effective, very few sites |
Equine ocular squamous cell carcinoma | Intermediate to high | Best treatment when bone involved |