An expedited palliative radiation protocol for lytic or proliferative lesions of appendicular bone in dogs.

Fifty-eight dogs with lytic or proliferative bone lesions were treated with a radiation protocol of two 8-Gy fractions over 2 consecutive days. The protocol was well tolerated, with no increase in early or late effects over previously published protocols. Forty-three (91%) of 47 dogs responded positively to radiation, with a median time of 2 days to onset of pain relief. Median duration of pain relief was 67 days (range 12 to 503 days; mean 99+/-16 days). Median survival time for all dogs was 136 days (mean 179+/-18 days). Distal radial location was a positive prognostic indicator for survival (P=0.005).