Oncology

The key to this alternative form of cancer therapy.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Colorado State University?s Animal Cancer Center has created a new chair in comparative oncology, thanks to a $3 million gift from the Shipley Foundation.

Advice for formulating your surgical plan.

Mast cell tumors are the most commonly encountered malignant skin tumor in the dog. They account for 16-21% of all cutaneous tumors and boxers, Boston terriers, Labrador retrievers, beagles and schnauzers are documented to be at increased risk. Alterations in the c-kit receptor (receptor for growth factor SCF) are noted in many high grade tumors. Histologic grade is highly predictive of behavior.

Biopsy and histopathology remains the gold standard diagnostic test for many conditions and for nearly all tumors and cancers. When performing this test, it is important to know what answers to look for, in order to obtain as much critical information as possible that may eventually impact the prognosis and the treatment planning.

It can be estimated that more than half of tumor-bearing pets suffer cancer-related pain. Quality of life and key physiological functions are negatively impacted by pain, and treating it is a priority. Whether cancer pain is confirmed, suspected, or expected to occur, efforts should be spent to treat it effectively.

Head and neck tumors are relatively common in aging cats. Understanding the differential diagnoses in this anatomic area is crucial as the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches may vary. This lecture will discuss feline oral tumors, sinonasal tumors, iris melanoma, Hodgkin's-like lymphoma, salivary gland tumors, tumors of the ear canal, and skin tumors.

This is the most common reason for presentation to the emergency clinic in patients currently undergoing chemotherapy. Any chemotherapy patient that is not feeling well should have a CBC performed, as well as a thorough physical examination.

Canine lymphoma comprises approximately 7-24% of all canine neoplasia and 83% of canine hematopoietic malignancies. This translates to ~24/100,000 dogs at risk and is one of the most commonly treated malignancies both in the private practice and specialty setting.

The biggest problem to overcome before treating pain in veterinary medicine is properly identifying the pain. Our patients cannot tell us what they're feeling using intelligible words, or by describing their symptoms. We therefore need other means to determine that the patient is experiencing pain, and to plan an appropriate treatment.

Canine lymphoma has long been regarded and addressed as a single disease entity, while human lymphomas are classified in numerous classes and subclasses, each with a distinct presentation, prognosis, and accepted therapy.Indolent, or low-grade, lymphomas constitute a unique subgroup of lymphomas that often may behave differently than the archetypical high-grade canine multicentric lymphomas.

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a highly malignant cancer originating from vascular endothelial cells. More frequent in dogs than in any other domestic species, with a reported prevalence of 2 % of all canine tumors, it is associated with a high fatality rate. Hemangiosarcoma typically affects older dogs, averaging 10 years of age at diagnosis, and a strong sex overrepresentation has not been identified.

Oral tumors account for ~6% of canine tumors making them the fourth most common neoplasm in that species. Four major histologic classifications; fibrosarcoma, melanosarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma and the epulides account for the vast majority of cases. Other less common diagnoses include lingual tumors, tonsillar SCC, viral papillomatosis, eosinophilic granuloma complex and papillary squamous cell carcinoma of young dogs.

Radiation therapy is one of the most powerful tools available in the fight against cancer and can be applied as a primary treatment modality, in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy in an adjuvant setting, or as a palliative therapy. The dose of radiation therapy administered is limited by the tolerance of normal tissue structures within the treatment field.

Molecular biology and genomic profiling now enable the identification of specific targets within cancer cells. Selectively designing therapies to interfere with those targets allows the treatment to become more 'personalized' as it is based on the targets identified in that patient's tumor cells.

The information gained from the pathologist can be invaluable and should be maximized at every opportunity. The pathologist's job is to determine 1) tumor vs. no tumor 2) malignant vs. benign 3) tissue of origin 4) margins in excisional specimens and 5) a histologic grade when available.

Canine proliferative histiocytic disorders (PHD) include nonneoplastic or nonmalignant conditions such as the benign cutaneous histiocytoma of young dogs or the cutaneous and systemic histiocytoses (reactive histiocytic diseases), and malignant proliferations including malignant fibrous histiocytoma, splenic fibrohistiocytic nodules, and histiocytic sarcoma (localized, disseminated, hemophagocytic).

An imaging pointer for staging lung cancer.

How your colleagues respond to terms such as presumptive, consistent with, probable, supportive of, and more.

Treatment of feline intestinal lymphoma requires instituting systemic chemotherapy, with or without surgical resection of focal intestinal lesions.

In this online on-demand course, Dr. Pam Jones discusses hemangiosarcoma - including staging tests and treatment options for various forms of hemangiosarcoma. (1 CE credit)

Dr. Chick Weisse discusses using interventional radiology to administer chemotherapeutic drugs and other oncology treatments.

What are the benefits of low-dose continuous chemotherapy?

Champaign, Ill. -- A new drug designed to treat lymphoma targets a specific cellular enzyme and has shown positive effects in four dogs.

What is a good prognostic factor in cats with form of cancer?