Cancer in pets is on the rise. For dogs over six years of age, 60 percent will be diagnosed with some form of cancer, and nearly half the deaths of pets more than 10 years old are from cancer. There are nearly 100 different types of animal cancer. The most common type in cats is leukemia, and the most common cancers for dogs are lymphoma and mammary gland cancer. With treatment advances, pets with cancer have a much better chance of survival than they did just a few years ago.
Treating cancer in pets is no different than treating cancer in humans. It takes a team. And although some cancers may not require a team approach, especially skin cancers that are caught early, most serious cancers require more than just your regular veterinarian’s involvement.
Step 1 — Staging
Staging is the process veterinarians go through to determine the extent and severity of the cancer and whether or not it has spread to other organs in the body. This process is vital. Staging cancer allows veterinarians to know what type of cancer is present, how aggressive the cancer is, how the overall health of the pet is in relation to the cancer and, finally, what treatments might have the best rate of success.
The most common elements of staging are:
• Location and type of the primary tumor
• Determination of the tumor size and number of tumors
• Physical exam to look for other areas that may be affected, particularly the lymph nodes, as well as a determination of the pet’s overall health
• Blood test of internal organs to assess liver, pancreas and kidney functioning, as well as white and red blood cell counts
Step 2 — Treatment
Staging is required in order to develop the best approach to treatment. Conversely, the results may indicate that treatment will not be effective. In this situation, the initial cost of staging may benefit the pet owner financially and save the pet from treatments (and their side effects) that have little or no chance of success. In these cases, pain relief, treating the symptoms of cancer, and providing comfort help ease the pet and owner at the end of life.
When staging has indicated that your pet is a good candidate for treatment, the results help your pets’ veterinarian team decide the best treatment route to pursue. Only after a good staging, can the treatment that best fits your pet be determined.
Treatment options available include:
• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Cryosurgery (cold)
• Hyperthermia (heat)
• Immunotherapy
• Combinations of the above
Early detection of cancer is critical. Physical exams, blood tests and other lab tests will also help determine how the internal organs are functioning and whether or not any other disease sources are present, which may complicate treatment.
Once staging is complete, your veterinarian can provide you with a prognosis or probable outcome for your pet and treatment decisions can be made.