Improved survival in a retrospective cohort of 28 dogs with insulinoma

OBJECTIVES: To determine the survival times for a cohort of dogs with insulinoma and to describe the impact of medical therapy both in non-surgical cases and in surgical cases following relapse. METHODS: A retrospective study of dogs with insulinoma is presented. The Kaplan-Meier method is used to evaluate the survival characteristics of this population. RESULTS: Twenty-eight dogs were included in the study. The median survival time for all dogs was 547 days. Nineteen patients underwent partial pancreatectomy. The median survival time for this group was 785 days and for those subsequently receiving prednisolone therapy on relapse it was 1316 days. Perioperative complications are discussed. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Survival times in this study exceed those in other studies published previously. In part, this is explained by an improved remission duration following surgery compared with previous reports. More striking though is the longevity of patients following institution of medical therapy. These data give strong objective support to the role of medical therapy in the management of canine insulinoma, including following relapse after surgically induced remission.