Treatment of Primary Pulmonary Carcinoma with Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine After Conventional Therapy Failure

Abstract

A 10-year-old castrated male German Shorthaired Pointer was referred to a tertiary veterinary teaching hospital (VTH) with a 4-month history of anorexia, hindlimb weakness and occasional coughing. The coughing was minimally responsive to various antibiotic/steroid combinations prior to thoracic radiographs identifying pulmonary masses. Diagnostic workup and imaging by the VTH oncology service confirmed 2 pulmonary masses, 4.8×3.7 cm and 1.4×1.6 cm, in the left and right middle lung lobes, respectively. Fine needle aspirate diagnosis was primary mucinous bronchoalveolar carcinoma. With masses in two lobes, the condition was not amendable to surgery, therefore, chemotherapy was suggested along with traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) therapy to improve quality of life. Initial TCVM Patterns were Spleen Qi Deficiency, Kidney Qi Deficiency and Lung Blood Stasis. Therapy was designed to stimulate the dog’s appetite, counter chemotherapy negative side-effects and strengthen the hindlimbs. Acupuncture, Tui-na, and Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) were initially started along with chemotherapeutics. The Tui-na and CHM treatments quickly became the main therapy when the dog was unable to tolerate chemotherapeutics or acupuncture. Survival was expected to be 6-9 months with chemotherapeutics or 2-5 months without. Using TCVM therapies, the dog survived 19 months after diagnosis, with an excellent quality of life. This case demonstrates the potential benefits of combining traditional Chinese veterinary medicine with conventional therapy for oncology patients to extend survivability while improving quality of life. Optimal TCVM treatment should be based on adjusting treatment plans guided by the changing TCVM Pattern(s) presented by a patient at each clinical exam.