Cancer Treatment
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
For many people the word cancer conjures up images of pain, decline and death. Veterinarians have learned through the years that when the word cancer is used to describe a pet's disease, often the pet owner immediately develops the impression that little can be done to save their beloved friend. Fortunately, this is frequently not the case, as veterinary medicine has progressed wonderfully during the past decades in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in animals. Successful treatments are becoming more readily available with each passing year.
What is cancer?
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Our bodies are constantly producing new healthy cells to replace naturally aging older cells in a controlled regulated manner. Cancer cells, however, continue to grow regardless of the need for new cells. As they grow and form groups of cells, they become enlarged masses (or tumors). Benign tumors are not cancerous as they do not invade surrounding tissues. They simply continue to enlarge with time and sometimes need to be removed as they put pressure on surrounding areas or cause irritation. Benign tumors are usually not life threatening. Malignant tumors however, do invade adjacent areas of the body and utilize nutrition that should be going to the surrounding healthy tissue and organs. Malignant tumors can sometimes spread their cells to other areas of the body, often creating a new tumor - this is called metastasis.
Our pet population is capable of reaching greater ages than ever before, thanks to advanced medical care and the excellent treatment many owners afford their pets. As we know with people, the chances of developing cancer proportionally increase as our age increases. Cancer accounts for half the deaths of pets over the age of 10 years. In summary, it is very common to see cancer in our pet population. There are dozens of different types of cancer that can affect our pets, some having a genetic predisposition as is seen with people. For example, some families of women are very prone to breast cancer and in dogs some lines of giant breed dogs are prone to osteosarcoma, a malignant tumor of the bone.
How can a pet owner determine if their pet has cancer?
This is can be difficult because cancer can mimic many other diseases, depending on the organ it grows in (such as liver disease, lung disease, kidney disease and so on). Therefore, it is very important that a pet receive annual physical examinations, especially as it reaches its senior years. A veterinarian can help to distinguish between the different causes of changes in the pet's demeanor through a physical examination, laboratory tests and X-rays. However, the Veterinary Cancer Society has listed the top ten warning signs of cancer.
- Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow.
- Sores that do not heal.
- Weight loss.
- Bleeding or discharge from any body opening.
- Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina.
- Offensive odor.
- Difficulty eating or swallowing.
- Persistent lameness of stiffness.
- Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating.
- Loss of appetite.
Your veterinarian can help you differentiate between the causes of these above clinical signs in your pet! Provide your veterinarian with exact details as to when you first noticed the above changes in your pet and give any additional information relating to the condition, because this will help the veterinarian put the whole puzzle together and make the complete diagnosis. No one knows your pet better than you!
When and if a diagnosis of cancer is made in a pet, the veterinarian will carefully determine the type of cancer and its prognosis. This will frequently require a biopsy, blood tests, and X-rays. Sometimes Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Computerized Tomography (CT) are also used depending, on their availability to the local veterinarian. If the tumor is determined to be benign, simple surgical removal of the mass may be all that is required. If the tumor is malignant there may be one or more treatment options that are available. These frequently include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Frequently these treatments are used in combination. There are new treatment options becoming available all the time, and your veterinarian can investigate these possibilities for you if they are appropriate. If your veterinarian does not have a comfort level with treating your pet's type of cancer he or she will be able to refer you to someone who does. It is because of these progressive treatments that are becoming available to pets that veterinarians are becoming much more successful in treating the cancers of their patients. Months and years of extra quality life are now attainable for most pets that have developed cancer.