Hemangiosarcoma: What Can I Do in my Practice ?

HEMANGIOSARCOMA: WHAT CAN I DO IN MY PRACTICE?

Hemangiosarcomas (HAS) are malignant neoplasms that originate from the circulating endothelial precursors. They occur predominantly in older dogs (8 to 10 years of age) and in males; German Shepherd Dogs and Golden Retrievers are at high risk for this neoplasm.
The spleen, right atrium, subcutis, and retroperitoneal space are common sites of involvement at the time of presentation. Approximately 50% of the tumors originate in the spleen, 25% in the right atrium, 13% in subcutaneous tissue, 5% in the liver, 5% in the liver-spleen–right atrium, and 1% to 2% simultaneously in other organs (i.e., kidney, urinary bladder, bone, tongue, prostate). In general, the biologic behavior of this neoplasm is highly aggressive, with most anatomic forms of the tumor infiltrating and metastasizing early in the disease. The exceptions are primary dermal and conjunctival/ third eyelid HSAs, which have a low metastatic potential. […]