RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES Recent Trends in Feline Intestinal Neoplasia: an Epidemiologic Study of 1,129 Cases in the Veterinary Medical Database from 1964 to 2004

ABSTRACT A retrospective epidemiologic study evaluated 1,129 feline intestinal tumor patients via data entered into the Veterinary Medical Database (VMDB) from 1964 to 2004. Cases were analyzed by breed, age, yr of diagnosis, tumor type, and location. The VMDB incidence of all intestinal tumors reported during this 40 yr period was 0.4%, with small intestinal tumors predominating. The most common intestinal tumor was lymphoma, but the most common nonlymphoid tumor was adenocarcinoma. The Siamese breed and increasing age after 7 yr conferred an increased risk. Intact males and females appeared to have a decreased risk compared with neutered patients, but this may be explained by the age difference among these patients as older patients were more likely to be neutered. Prospective studies evaluating neuter status predilection and prognosis are warranted. (J Am Anim Hos

Dose escalation safety study of Nanotax® in dogs [abstract]

Comparative Medicine - OneHealth and Comparative Medicine Poster SessionThe goal of this project is to determine the suitability of CritiTech's existing formulation of fine-particle paclitaxel, Nanotax®, for the treatment of spontaneously-occurring cancer in dogs. The rationale behind this project is that paclitaxel is highly effective in the treatment of human cancers, but cannot be used in dogs because of their exquisite sensitivity to the solubilizing agents (e.g., CremophorEL®) used in commercially available formulations. Abraxane®, a paclitaxel coated with human serum albumin (HSA), is also unsatisfactory because the HSA induces an immune reaction in canines. CritiTech has demonstrated that Nanotax® increases overall survival in a mouse xenograft model of ovarian cancer and indeed has initiated Phase I human trials of the drug. To accomplish the objectives of this application, two specific aims will be pursued: (1) determine the maximally tolerated dose and assess the toxicities of Nanotax® administered to dogs by intravenous injection, and (2) determine the plasma pharmacokinetics of Nanotax® administered intravenously to dogs. Clinically normal dogs (n=3) were treated with increasing amounts of Nanotax® while monitoring clinical signs of toxicity via physical examination and laboratory evaluation. Serial plasma samples were collected and analyzed for paclitaxel content to determine pharmacokinetic parameters for each dose level. Preliminary evaluation suggests that pharmacokinetic parameters are dose-linear and that the drug is rapidly cleared from circulation. The circulating half life is short which may be a result of clearance by the reticuloendothelial system. Final postmortem evaluation will be performed to determine whether the drug has accumulated in any organ system. We will use data generated to determine an appropriate starting dose for a Phase I/II study of Nanotax® in tumor-bearing dogs to determine tolerability in a patient population and efficacy against various canine cancers

Laser in Bone Surgery

During the past half-century, laser osteotomy has been studied for a broad range of lasers, which almost covers the entire range of available laser systems in the market, from early unsuccessful experiments with CW lasers to newly developed ultrashort pulse lasers. Although a large variety of laser parameters including wavelength, pulse energy, pulse duration, and repetition rate have been investigated to find an optimum laser system as an alternative osteotomy tool, there is not a universal agreement on a specific type of laser to replace conventional mechanical saws. The only universal agreement is on the speed of cutting (ablation rate) which went to long-pulse Er:YAG and CO 2 lasers. Microsecond pulse Er:YAG and CO 2 lasers perform osteotomy by inducing efficient photothermal effect to the bone with the help of high absorption peak of water in the bone. However, having a speedy cut is not the only effective parameter to pave the way for transferring lasers to the operating room. Other parameters including cutting with the lowest thermal damage, ability for deep cutting, and compatibility with integrating sensors are among the other determinant parameters. Moreover, being able to be delivered through the fiber optic and as a consequence fit inside the endoscope channel could extend their application from the open surgery to minimally invasive ones. This chapter besides proving the necessary information on the physics behind the laser-bone interaction provides a short review on the history of bone surgery with laser and state-of-the-art studies in this field