Veterinary oncology

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Mast cell tumor on muzzle of dog Mast cell tumor on lip.JPG
Mast cell tumor on muzzle of dog

Veterinary oncology is a subspecialty of veterinary medicine that deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals. Cancer is a major cause of death in pet animals. In one study, 45% of the dogs that reached 10 years of age or older died of cancer. [1]

Contents

Skin tumors are the most frequently diagnosed type of tumor in domestic animals for two reasons: 1. constant exposure of animal skin to the sun and external environment, 2. skin tumors are easy to see because they are on the outside of the animal. [2]

History

Specialised veterinary oncology training became available in the 21st century. [3]

Treatment

The most effective method of treating cancer in animals is surgery. Surgery may involve a marginal excision, where just the capsule is excised; wide excision, where a wider area surrounding the capsule (typically 2–3cm) is excised; or radical excision, where the entire compartment is excised, often taking the form of an amputation.. [3]

Cancer statistics

Male dogs

Type of Cancer % of Total Cancer
Connective Tissue17
Testis16
Skin (Melanoma)14
Mouth and Throat10
Lymphoma10
Bone4
Stomach and Intestines3
Nasal cavity1–2

[4] [5] [6]

Female dogs

Type of Cancer % of Total Cancer
Breast51
Connective Tissue9
Mouth and Throat8
Skin (Melanoma)6
Lymphoma5
Liver and Bile Tracts/ducts2
Bone2

[4] [5] [6]

These statistics, being from the 1960s, may not be an accurate representation of cancer in dogs currently.

Human-animal cancer connections

Companion animals such as dogs and cats suffer from many of the same types of cancer as humans. Cancer research with dogs has helped in the design of clinical trials for cancer therapy for humans. In the spirit of the One Health movement (global collaborative research on human and animal health) such human-animal connections in cancer research could benefit both humans and animals with cancer in the future. [1] [7]

Animals with cancer also sometimes function as animal sentinels that provide an early warning of carcinogens and an environmental health hazard to humans. [8] [9]

Ethical issues

Veterinarians use the HHHHHMM Scale to discuss animal quality of life with pet owners before a euthanasia decision is made for a pet with an incurable disease such as cancer (the letters stand for Hurt Hunger Hydration Hygiene Happiness Mobility and "More good days than bad days"). [10] [11]

See also

Specific cancers

References

  1. 1 2 Withrow, Stephen J. (2007). "Why worry about cancer in pets?". In Withrow, Stephen J.; MacEwen, E. Gregory (eds.). Small Animal Clinical Oncology (4th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. pp. xv–xvii. ISBN   978-0-7216-0558-6.
  2. ↑ Tumors of the Skin and Soft Tissues: Introduction, The Merck Veterinary Manual http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/72200.htm&word=neoplasm
  3. 1 2 Culp, William T.N.; Ehrhart, Nicole (2022-04-29). "Principles of Surgical Oncology". Veterinary Surgical Oncology. Wiley. p. 1–16. doi:10.1002/9781119089124.ch1. ISBN   978-1-119-08905-6.
  4. 1 2 Veterinary Medicine @ About – information about pets, diseases, vet schools
  5. 1 2 Cancer in Dogs Archived September 2, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 Kelsey, J. L.; Moore, A. S.; Glickman, T. (1998). "Epidemiologic Studies of Risk Factors for Cancer in Pet Dogs". Epidemiologic Reviews. 20 (2): 204–17. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.epirev.a017981 . PMID   9919439.
  7. ↑ Thamm, D; Dow, S (2009). "How companion animals contribute to the fight against cancer in humans" (PDF). Veterinaria Italiana. 45 (1): 111–20. PMID   20391394.
  8. ↑ Rabinowitz, P; Scotch, M; Conti, L (2009). "Human and animal sentinels for shared health risks". Veterinaria Italiana. 45 (1): 23–4. PMC   2818012 . PMID   20148187.
  9. ↑ Withrow, Stephen J., and MacEwen, E. Gregory, eds. Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders, c2007, pp. 12–15.
  10. ↑ The Merck/Merial Manual For Pet Health: The complete health resource for your dog, cat, horse or other pets – in everyday language, eds. Cynthia M. Kahn, Scott Line, Merck & Co., Inc., 2007, ISBN   0-911910-99-9, ISBN   978-0-911910-99-5, p. 1250.
  11. ↑ Villalobos, A.E., Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, Veterinary Practice News, September 2004 in Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, Blackwell Publishing, Table 10.1, 2006 Adaption: http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/bond-beyond/quality-of-life-scale.aspx
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