Evaluation of intracavitary mitoxantrone and carboplatin for treatment of carcinomatosis,sarcomatosis and mesothelioma,with or without malignant effusions: A retrospective analysis of 12 cases (1997–2002)*

Carcinomatosis, sarcomatosis and mesothelioma, with or without malignant effusions, are difficult to treat and generally carry a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was two‐fold; first, to determine the prognosis for dogs with carcinomatosis, sarcomatosis, or mesothelioma, with or without malignant effusions; second, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatment with intracavitary (IC) carboplatin and mitoxantrone in dogs with these syndromes. Nineteen dogs were evaluated. Seven were untreated and 12 were treated with IC chemotherapy (mitoxantrone and/or carboplatin), and multiple factors were analysed for significance with respect to survival time. The median survival time (MST) for untreated dogs was 25 days, whereas the MST for treated dogs was 332 days (Log Rank, P < 0.0001). Treatment with IC chemotherapy was well tolerated. This study suggests that IC chemotherapy with mitoxantrone and/or carboplatin is an effective treatment for dogs with carcinomatosis, sarcomatosis or mesothelioma, with or without malignant effusion.