Kim L. Cronin, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM

Mammary gland tumors remain one of the most common cancers in our canine patients.

As the focus of cancer treatments shifts away from conventional chemotherapy to more targeted therapies, a new strategy for the treatment of cancer has become increasingly more popular for both human and veterinary patients.

There is current emphasis in the veterinary field to practice evidence-based medicine. The concept is simplistic, although the practice is not always easy.

Thyroid tumors are relatively uncommon in dogs, accounting for only 1 percent to 4 percent of all tumors. The majority of diagnosed thyroid tumors in dogs are malignant, because adenomas are clinically silent and found incidentally on necropsy.

Malignant tumors of the lower urinary tract include transitional cell carcinoma, squamous-cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is a common cancer to see in larger, middle-aged to older dogs. One of the challenges in treating these patients is pain management. Amputation effectively relieves bone pain and is the standard of care for patients, but may not be an option for all dogs.