Surgery alone or in combination with radiation therapy for treatment of intracranial meningiomas in dogs: 31 cases (1989-2002).

OBJECTIVE: To compare, for dogs with intracranial meningiomas, survival times for dogs treated with surgical resection followed by radiation therapy with survival times for dogs treated with surgery alone.

DESIGN: Retrospective study.

ANIMALS: 31 dogs with intracranial meningiomas.

PROCEDURE: Medical records of dogs with histologic confirmation of an intracranial meningioma were reviewed. For each dog, signalment, clinical signs, tumor location, treatment protocol, and survival time were obtained from the medical record and through follow-up telephone interviews.

RESULTS: Dogs that underwent tumor resection alone and survived > 1 week after surgery had a median survival time of 7 months (range, 0.5 to 22 months). Dogs that underwent tumor resection followed by radiation therapy had a median survival time of 16.5 months (range, 3 to 58 months).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that in dogs with intracranial meningiomas, use of radiation therapy as a supplement to tumor resection can significantly extend life expectancy.