• Hero Banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Buying or Selling a Practice
Hospital Design
Leadership & Personal Growth
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Technology
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Live Conferences
Conference News
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Just Ask the Expert: Will pamidronate help manage osteosarcoma pain?

July 1, 2012
Timothy M. Fan, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (internal medicine, oncology)

Dr. Timothy Fan answers this reader query about controlling cancer pain.

Dr. Fan welcomes oncology questions from veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

Click here to submit your question, or send an e-mail to vm@advanstar.com with the subject line "Oncology questions."

I have a 6-year old female spayed Doberman pinscher in which appendicular osteosarcoma was recently diagnosed. We are currently treating her with carprofen, tramadol, and gabapentin. I also started her on an intravenous treatment regimen every 28 days with pamidronate. Have you seen much success in pain management with pamidronate? How many treatments do dogs need to receive before you notice any progress? I would also like to know if there are any other helpful options for this condition.

A. Appendicular osteosarcoma is a neoplastic condition characterized by focal malignant osteolysis. Pain associated with osteosarcoma is the direct result of physical bone destruction and associated inflammation that stimulates peripheral pain fibers (nociceptors). Treatments that minimize or reverse the rate and degree of pathologic bone destruction can provide analgesia.

Dr. Timothy M. Fan

Advertisement

Pamidronate is a second-generation bisphosphonate that reduces malignant osteolysis by inducing apoptosis of osteoclasts. The use of pamidronate in dogs to manage osteosarcoma-associated pain has been reported in combination with conventional oral analgesics, such as what you are administering to your dog, with about 30% of treated patients achieving durable pain alleviation in excess of four months.1,2 Given its favorable toxicity profile, dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma can be treated with intravenous pamidronate monthly for the entirety of their disease process without cumulative adverse effects.

Although potent intravenous bisphosphonates appear to have a role in managing malignant bone pain, the use of ionizing radiation therapy remains the first-line and most effective treatment modality for controlling pain secondary to focal skeletal osteolysis in dogs. So I would recommend that you add ionizing radiation therapy to improve pain control in your dog, if possible.

REFERENCES

1. Fan TM, de Lorimier LP, Charney SC, et al. Evaluation of intravenous pamidronate administration in 33 cancer-bearing dogs with primary or secondary bone involvement. J Vet Intern Med 2005;19(1):74-80.

2. Fan TM, de Lorimier LP, O'Dell-Anderson K, et al. Single-agent pamidronate for palliative therapy of canine appendicular osteosarcoma bone pain. J Vet Intern Med 2007;21(3):431-439.

Timothy M. Fan, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (internal medicine, oncology)

Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine

College of Veterinary Medicine

University of Illinois

Urbana, IL 61802

Related Content:

Pain ManagementOncology
Morris Animal Foundation accepting canine cancer research proposals
Morris Animal Foundation accepting canine cancer research proposals
Locoregional analgesia for pain management in veterinary medicine
Locoregional analgesia for pain management in veterinary medicine
Morris Animal Foundation funds study on environmental toxins and lymphoma
Morris Animal Foundation funds study on environmental toxins and lymphoma

Advertisement

Latest News

Oldest aardvark in Europe passes away

Integrative approach to treating Giardia lamblia infections

Innovative digital microscopy platform is launched

Enhanced pet health and wellness app now available

View More Latest News
Advertisement