Pet Oncology, or cancer treatment for dogs and cats, has come a long way over the past few decades. Once thought to provide little hope, we now know that there are many things that can be done to help our furry loved ones live longer lives of good quality.
Surgery is sometimes an important treatment step for animals with cancer. This modality would be used when a pet has a localized cancer (therefore no spread or metastasis of the tumor). By removing the tumor, we decrease the cancer burden and can remove any pain or discomfort if it was associated with the mass. Some animals need nothing more than surgery. Others will need an adjuvant (other) therapy in the form of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or immunotherapy.
Dogs and cats often do very well with chemotherapy. It is important to remember, the entire goal of treating a pet is so they have a very good quality of life. Most animals experience minimal to no side effects from chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is considered a systemic treatment, thereby going throughout one’s entire body. Chemotherapy is considered a systemic treatment, thereby going throughout one’s entire body. Chemotherapy is often given as an intravenous injection though it can sometimes be given in a pill form. In general, a cat will have a 10% chance of side effects. Dogs may have a 15% chance of side effects. In general, side effects can occur in the gastrointestinal area, causing a decreased appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea. If any of these occur, they will typically subside within 4 days. Medications to aid with the adverse reaction and/or dose reductions can be instituted. It is rare for a dog to lose fur with chemotherapy. Fur loss can be seen in dogs that have more “hair-like” qualities (Poodles, Bichon Frises, terriers). Cats will not usually lose fur though some may lose their whiskers.
Dogs and cats do equally as well with radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used for a local disease. It can be employed when a mass cannot be removed, as a larger area can be treated with radiation versus surgery. Radiation therapy can also be used when surgery has left microscopic cancer cells behind. Some tumors can be cured with RT. Side effects are limited to the region which receives radiation. Pets rarely, if ever, experience vomiting or diarrhea. Instead, there is a chance that their skin (in the treatment field only) can have a “sunburn-like” effect, may not regrow fur in that spot and the hair that does grow back is often white. Radiation therapy may vary between 1 to 21 treatments.
Immunotherapy is another form of cancer therapy. Immunotherapy is often a systemic treatment, going throughout the pet’s body. This modality, however, targets, at the microscopic level, certain proteins or creating antibodies. Immunotherapy is often combined with other treatment modalities, in an attempt to provide comprehensive cancer care.
