Doxorubicin and carboplatin trials in Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) with Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease

• Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is having a devastating impact on Tasmanian devils.
• DFTD did not respond to escalating dosages of either doxorubicin or carboplatin.
• Carboplatin (20 mg/kg) and doxorubicin (1.0 mg/kg) were identified as maximally tolerated dosages.
• Limiting toxicities for carboplatin were anorexia, weight loss (gastrointestinal) and azotemia.
• Limiting toxicities for doxorubicin were neutropenia, anorexia and weight loss.

The devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is having a devastating impact on Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) (devils) in the wild. Only a single study has been published regarding treatment of DFTD, where vincristine was not found to be an effective chemotherapeutic agent. In the current study, devils were treated with escalating dosages of carboplatin (8–26 mg/kg) (n = 13) and doxorubicin (0.75–1.0 mg/kg) (n = 5). Dosages for carboplatin (20 mg/kg) and doxorubicin (1.0 mg/kg) were identified as maximally tolerated dosages. Limiting toxicities for carboplatin were anorexia and weight loss (gastrointestinal signs) and azotemia. Limiting toxicities for doxorubicin were neutropenia, anorexia and weight loss. None of the treated devils responded to either drug, suggesting that, based on the clonality of this tumour, it is unlikely that either drug individually or in combination would be effective treatments for DFTD. These results, however, provide valuable information for practitioners who may choose to treat other neoplastic diseases in the devil or other marsupials. In addition, these results show that even drugs that are metabolized and excreted in the same manner can be tolerated to different degrees by the same species.