Veterinary oncology is a subspecialty of

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, medical diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all a ...

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. Skin

tumors A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

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.

History

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

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.

Cancer statistics

Male dogs

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Female dogs

''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 Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human subject research, human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel v ...

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. Animals with cancer also sometimes function as animal sentinels that provide an early warning of

carcinogen A carcinogen () is any agent that promotes the development of cancer. Carcinogens can include synthetic chemicals, naturally occurring substances, physical agents such as ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and biologic agents such as viruse ...

s and an environmental health hazard to humans.

Ethical issues

Veterinarians A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

use the HHHHHMM Scale to discuss animal

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

with pet owners before a

euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...

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").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

References

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