Grant #02534: Clinical Trial for Evaluation of Propranolol and Doxorubicin in the Treatment of Canine Hemangiosarcoma
Principal Investigator: Erin Dickerson PhD, Brian Husbands DVM
Research Institution: University of Minnesota
[Progress Report 2021] [Progress Report end 2021] [Progress Report 2024]
Project Description: Canine hemangiosarcoma is a largely incurable cancer in dogs, and treatment approaches to improve outcomes have remained relatively stagnant over the past few decades. Treatment remains a challenge partly because the cancer is frequently detected at an advanced stage and because these tumors are often resistant to chemotherapies. Recently published reports showed that propranolol, a drug used to treat heart disease in humans and dogs, substantially increased the survival time of human angiosarcoma patients when used in combination with standard of care treatments. Propranolol was also shown to sensitize hemangiosarcoma cells to doxorubicin, providing a more effective way to kill tumor cells. Because angiosarcoma is strikingly similar to canine hemangiosarcoma, this multi-institutional clinical trial has been designed to determine the efficacy of propranolol in dogs with hemangiosarcoma when used in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. The main goal of the study is to establish whether propranolol in combination with doxorubicin following surgery improves outcomes for dogs when compared to the use of chemotherapy and surgery alone. The investigators will also evaluate the plasma concentrations of propranolol achieved during dosing to assess whether the levels of propranolol correlate to survival times. If successful, the findings from this approach will be rapidly conveyed to the veterinary community, and the guidelines provided to clinicians for the use of propranolol and doxorubicin for the treatment of canine hemangiosarcoma.