VetPro - Veterinary Community » injection » Cancer in Pets

Posted by: **jenvetadmin** on Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:54 am

jenvetnurse writes: Sadly cancer in cats and dogs is common. However, years ago euthanasia was the only option – now there is hope if the cancer is detected in its early stages. Dogs are more commonly affected than cats.
Dogs are commonly diagnosed with mammary, skin and bone cancers, we do see more cancer than we used to due to the fact that cats and dogs have a greater life expectancy now.

The factors which increase the likelihood of cancer are:
• Age – Usually middle to senior pets affected.
• Sex- Certain cancers affect more commonly one sex ie mammary tumours =females. Prostatic cancer = males.
• Breed - Retrievers – Golden and Flat coated, white boxers, chocolate coated Labradors, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Weimararners are singled out as the breeds with a tendency to have cancer at some stage.
• Environment – certain exposures to chemicals, radiation etc can cause cancers.

The treatment available for our companion animals is excellent. Most surgeries are offering chemotherapy if not there are specialist oncology practices who will take referrals. Surgery is also a large part of treating cancer. Of course chest and abdominal x-rays should always be taken to ensure there are no metastases present before embarking on invasive surgical procedures.
Chemotherapy can be successful but not always. There are of course side-effects which can be unpleasant such as hair loss, vomiting and diarrhea, nausea, lethargy, depression etc - Clients and their vets need to question the animal’s quality of life and be unselfish about making decisions regarding treatment.
Click read more - to find out more about treatments available etc.

The obvious questions to ask are:
• What stage is the disease at and what is the prognosis with treatment?
• How long can treatment prolong the animal’s life? Are there any comparisons which can be made with similar cases?
• What side effects will the animal experience and can they be managed using drugs?
• If surgery is an option – what are the risks involved? Is the animal fit for the procedure? How long will recovery take? What should we expect post-operatively?
• Are there alternative treatments available that may help? What would be the best choice of diet during the animal’s illness? A certain diet ie Hills zd diet which could help?
• Ask your veterinarian honestly what they would do if their own pet had the particular type of cancer.

As with humans there is a grading system in place in the same way there are stages of the disease 1 – 4 and grades of the tumors 1-3. A clinical pathologist will grade tumors after examination and the Veterinary Surgeon will stage the diseases based on the patient’s history and presenting signs.
Stage 1 – One tumor within the skin which has not affected any lymph nodes.
Stage 2 – One tumor with some evidence of lymph nodes affected in the surrounding area.
Stage 3 – The presence of multiple tumors within the skin or gastro-intestinal tract.
Stage 4 – Metastasis exist.
Grade 1 tumors: Tumors excised with a good margin – unlikely to recur in 90% of cases. Surgical intervention required only.
Grade 2 tumors: 50% chance of tumor recurring at some stage. Either at the same site or metastasizing. Radiation therapy is advised after surgery to increase longevity.
Grade 3 tumors: The worst kind – spread likely and prognosis is poor even with treatment.
While the pathologist determines the grade of the tumor, your vet or an
oncology specialist, determines the stage of the illness. This is done by
looking for evidence of spread of the tumor to other areas of the skin or
other areas of the body.
Early detection is key to success – many clients still allow boosters to lapse when their pet becomes elderly – when this is the crucial time to ensure the pet is examined thoroughly for early warning signs of cancer or any disease.
Early signs of cancer can include:
• Any abnormal growth which grows or changes, weight loss, changes in appetite, bleeding/discharge/discomfort from any orifice.
• Unwillingness to exercise, lethargy, chronic lameness, any persistent changes in general.
• Exercise intolerance, stamina loss.
• Persistent lameness, persistently sore areas.
Prevention of Cancer:
• Neutering – This is the most effective way to reduce the risks of Mammary tumors, Testicular tumors, and Prostatic cancer. Rabbit spaying can prevent cancer of the womb.
• Vaccination – Felv virus is a cause of cancer in cats
• Using Sun Tan Lotion – to prevent white cats getting Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Applying to ear tips and nose will help reduce risks.
Treatment Available In Detail.
Chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is used to treat Lymphomas and tumors. The drugs will hopefully kill all tumor cells. Therapeutic Chemotherapy can occasionally cure cancer although it is used more often to cure the disease symptoms and give a longer and better life to the patient.
Adjuvant chemotherapy is sometimes used post-operatively when tumor cells are retained. A few months of treatment can improve the chances of success.
Palliative chemotherapy is sometimes used for serious/incurable cases. The drugs can provide some relief from the pain associated with the tumor(s).
Radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy is used less often due to the expense and safety issues. There are specialist centers that do radiotherapy however. There are side effects and the animal has to be anaesthetized for sessions and isolated for a period afterwards.

Immunotherapy.
This is stimulation of the immune system to encourage the body to destroy harmful cells. Vaccines can be created from the tumors, and bacteria can be injected into tumors. This treatment can be unreliable but can also be successful in some cases.
Palliative therapies.
This is treatment which will help the animal to have a good quality of life by controlling the signs caused by cancer. It will not cure/treat the cancer.
The patient diet must be assessed as some tumors need certain nutrients to continuing growing. Feeding a high carb.high fat diet may help the patient to have more energy and may also starve the growing tumor.

It is a fact that cancer is a frightening disease. We hate the term and all the misery associated with it. I think when questioning whether to have your pet treated for cancer you need to think carefully about it. Ask your vet if he/she would treat the pet if it were their own. Euthanasia may be the kind release your pet deserves. Alternatively treatment may be successful.

As always, I hope you have found this article interesting. Please feed back in the forums or submit any information you have on the subject.

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