Ozone Therapy in the Integrated Treatment of Female Dogs with Mammary Cancer: Oxidative Profile and Quality of Life

Abstract

Considering the high frequency of malignant breast tumors, there is a growing search for new therapeutic strategies that control neoplastic growth and dissemination, combined with fewer adverse reactions. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of ozone therapy in female dogs with mammary cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Twenty-five canines diagnosed with malignant mammary neoplasia were divided into two groups: one treated with carboplatin alone (n = 11) and the other with carboplatin associated with ozone therapy (n = 14). Clinical and laboratory evaluations, mastectomy, analysis of the oxidative profile based on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), survival rate, and quality of life were performed. Animals in the ozone therapy group had higher concentrations of red blood cells and platelets, significantly improving the survival rate and quality of life. Furthermore, adverse reactions were less intense and frequent in this group, which was associated with an increase in TAC and a reduction in MDA. These results indicate that the combination of carboplatin and ozone therapy represents a promising complementary treatment for female dogs with mammary cancer, as it was associated with fewer adverse reactions and a better oxidative profile.

Keywords: breast cancer; chemotherapy-induced side effects; integrative medicine; ozone; reactive oxygen species.

Figure 1

Comparison of degrees of adverse effects in each chemotherapy session according to the type of chemotherapy protocol established in female dogs with malignant mammary neoplasms. Mild, (2) moderate, (3) severe or clinically significant but not immediately fatal, (4) life-threatening, and (5) death related to an adverse drug reaction. The animals were treated with carboplatin alone or with the association of carboplatin and ozone therapy during six chemotherapy sessions. The Tukey test was applied to compare the medians between groups for each CT session and showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) between groups in all chemotherapy sessions.

Figure 2

Comparison of red blood cell and platelet counts throughout the chemotherapy treatment of the animals from the control and ozone groups. (A) Total red blood cells; (B) platelets. The one-way ANOVA statistical test was used, with significance at p < 0.05.

Figure 3

Comparison of total leukocyte and neutrophil counts throughout the chemotherapy treatment. (A) Total leukocytes; (B) neutrophil granulocytes (segmented neutrophils). The one-way ANOVA statistical test was used, with significance at p < 0.05.

Figure 4

Comparison of quality of life scores between groups in each chemotherapy session. The one-way ANOVA statistical test was used, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Figure 5

Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (A) and mean serum malondialdehyde (MDA) (B) concentrations (nmol/L) of the animals treated with carboplatin alone (CG) or associated with carboplatin and O₃ (O₃G) at different times (A, B, and C). Moment A: 48 h before the first chemotherapy session; moment B: 48 h before the fourth chemotherapy session; and moment C: 45 days after completion of the treatment with carboplatin. The one-way ANOVA statistical test was used, with significance at p < 0.05.

Figure 6

Survival curves of female dogs from the carboplatin group (CG) and carboplatin + O₃ group (O₃G) after the chemotherapy sessions. The log-rank (Mantel–Cox) statistical test was used to compare the curves, with significance set at p < 0.05, and a significant difference was found (p = 0.0224), represented by the symbol “*”.