Canine Transitional Cell Carcinoma: Treatment Options and Prognosis

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most common tumor affecting canine urinary bladders. It is highly invasive, can obstruct urinary outflow, and has a moderate metastasis rate in areas like lymph nodes and lungs. Several factors increase TCC risk, including older flea products, lawn chemicals, obesity, being female, and certain breeds like Scottish Terriers and Shetland Sheepdogs. Treatment typically involves radiation therapy and chemotherapy rather than surgery due to the tumor's invasive nature and location. Furthermore, TCC can be targeted with precision therapies enabled by FidoCure such as trametinib and lapatinib. 

Treatment Options

Surgery is often not pursued for canine transitional cell carcinoma because it typically occurs in a critical area of the bladder called the trigone, where many important structures converge. The invasive nature of TCC requires full-thickness surgery increasing the complexity and risk of the procedure. Therefore, instead of surgery, radiation therapy has been used to slow tumor growth and treat metastasis in nearby lymph nodes. Additionally, chemotherapy is often recommended in addition to radiation or as the primary treatment.

Several chemotherapy options have been studied for treating TCC. They are typically well-tolerated but side effects like lethargy, decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and decreases in white blood cell and platelet counts can occur. The most commonly used injectable chemotherapy drugs for TCC are Mitoxantrone, Carboplatin, and Vinblastine. In addition to chemotherapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) are also used to treat TCC. NSAIDs are oral medications given at home daily to help with inflammation and may also have anti-cancer properties against TCC.

Additionally, TCC commonly carries mutations that can be targeted with precision therapies enabled by FidoCure such as trametinib and lapatinib. Both trametinib and lapatinib are oral therapies given at home daily, require regular check-ups to assess response and to monitor for side effects, and can be used alone or with chemotherapy.

Prognosis

The prognosis of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is closely tied to the disease stage at diagnosis. Factors contributing to a more advanced stage include younger age, metastasis, and prostatic involvement. With non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone, the average life expectancy is around 6 months. However, adding injectable chemotherapy can extend that to an average of 10-12 months. While the effect of targeted therapy on prognosis and life expectancy is still being studied, one study showed a median survival time of 435 days when using both targeted therapy and NSAIDs. Therefore, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment selection play crucial roles in improving the prognosis of TCC patients.

Real FidoCure Patients 

With the help of FidoCure® therapy, Ruby had a great quality of life for 2 years after her initial diagnosis of transitional cell carcinoma.