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Title: Occurrence of metastases in beagles with skeletal malignancies induced by internal irradiation

Journal Article · · Health Physics
; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); and others

Metastases from malignant bone tumors often are responsible for the fatal effects of these cancers. Characteristics of primary skeletal malignancies in beagles injected with bone-seeking radionuclides were studied by Thurman (1971) and summarized by Thurman et al. (1971). There were 212 tumors in 186 of these dogs for which we subsequently received information on bone tumor metastases. Evaluation of bone and soft tissue slides from these animals allowed us to compare parameters reported previously with the occurrence of grossly apparent bone tumor metastases. Data included growth-rate of the primary tumor, volume of the primary tumor at death, sex of the animal, growth period of the primary tumor, degree of calcification of the primary tumor, skeletal location of the primary tumor, cumulative radiation dose to the skeleton, dose equivalent to the skeleton, and year of death. For most of the comparisons, no significant differences could be established between dogs with and without metastases. However, tumor volume at death appeared to be correlated with probability of metastasis (p < 0.05), with the larger tumors being associated with higher rates of metastasis. Comparisons of dogs with and without metastases as a function of tumor growth-rate did not, for the most part, yield significantly different results between groups. 10 refs., 11 tabs.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76EV00119; AC04-76EV01013
OSTI ID:
249872
Journal Information:
Health Physics, Vol. 66, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1994
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English