Metronomic Chemotherapy for Myxosarcoma Treatment in a Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori)

A 22-year-old, wild-caught male kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) developed a large, slow-growing subcutaneous mass over the keel. The mass was surgically debulked and histopathologically described as a myxosarcoma. Surgical dehiscence and concurrent local tumor regrowth, with no evidence of metastasis, occurred over the subsequent 3 months, necessitating 2 additional surgical procedures to close the wound. At 19 weeks after the initial procedure, a second debulking surgical procedure was performed, at which time carboplatin-impregnated matrix beads were placed in the lesion. Moderate local tumor regrowth was clinically appreciable 4 weeks after surgery, at which time an oral metronomic chemotherapeutic protocol consisting of daily cyclophosphamide (10 mg/m²) and meloxicam (0.1 mg/kg) was initiated. Four months later, the tumor was no longer palpable. While oral therapy was discontinued during the breeding season, mass regrowth was observed, and the mass was surgically debulked before reinitiating oral chemotherapy. Treatment was extended for over 1 year with no hematologic evaluation or serum biochemical abnormalities, and the bird otherwise remained clinically healthy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a myxosarcoma in a bustard species and the first report of successful clinical application of metronomic chemotherapy in an avian species.