Oncology

Denver, Colo. ? 5/30/07 ? Following the launch of its Canine Cancer Campaign, Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) released a special issue of its quarterly publication, AnimalNews, highlighting cancer in companion animals.

About 45% to 65% of hypercalcemic dogs and 10% to 30% of hypercalcemic cats have underlying neoplasia.

It is well known that the first attempt at surgery is the one most likely to provide control and/or "cure" of the tumor.

Practitioners, says this veterinary oncologist, must be not only clinically competent but also caring and compassionate. "A good veterinarian is like a ball of wax-he or she can be shaped to the different circumstances and needs of the patient and pet owner."

Most oncologists perform staging in cancer patients to help determine treatment options and prognosis.

Bone aspirates are becoming increasingly more useful in diagnosis of ... bone lesions. needed

A 7-year-old intact male boxer was evaluated because of a preputial dermal mass that had been present for about one year.

New York - 2/27/07 - Pfizer Animal Health donated $1.1 million to the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) to establish a national canine tumor biospecimen bank. The bank is expected to be valuable in treating dogs and may provide insights into human cancer. Funds for the tumor bank are restricted to the Canine Comparative Oncology and Geriatrics Consortium (CCOGC), a group of veterinary and medical researchers who have determined that a well-described repository of canine-tumor tissues is an essential resource for progress in new cancer therapies.

Many clinicians cringe when they see the word histiocytic on a diagnostic report. The nomenclature of histiocytic diseases can be difficult to understand, leading to confusion in regards to diagnostic and therapeutic options. To further compound the confusion, it can be easy to misdiagnose these diseases with only routine histopathology. This article is designed to provide a better understanding of the histiocytic diseases, as well as to provide information regarding the diagnosis and clinical presentation of these diseases and available treatment options.

Author's note: The first article in this series covered melanomas and SCC in dogs (July, DVM Newsmagazine). This article will discuss fibrosarcoma and benign tumors in dogs as well as SCC and fibrosarcoma in cats.

Diagnosing transitional cell carcinoma can be a difficult clinical challenge. Clinical signs (pollakiuria, dysuria, stranguria, and hematuria) are nonspecific, and differential diagnoses include granulomatous cystitis, other neoplastic diseases (lymphoma, rhabdomyosarcoma), a persistent or recurrent urinary tract infection, and urinary calculi-the latter two of which may occur concurrently with transitional cell carcinoma.

When calculating or using conversion charts, it is important to note that the weight used is in grams or kilograms (depending on the formula or conversion chart), not pounds.

A 7-year-old 11-lb (5-kg) neutered male domestic longhaired cat was presented to its regular veterinarian for vaccinations and a wellness examination.

Oral tumors are the fourth most common cancer in dogs and represent 6 percent of all canine cancers. The most common malignant tumors in dogs are melanoma, fibrosarcoma, SCC and osteosarcoma. Benign tumors include the epulides (ossifying, fibromatous and acanthomatous) and other odontogenic tumors. In cats, oral tumors make up 3 percent of all feline cancers. SCC is the most common malignant tumor followed by fibrosarcoma. Benign oral tumors are much less common in cats.

Metastatic, disseminated, and locally infiltrative cancers, including metastatic carcinoma, melanoma, lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and histiocytic sarcoma, can often affect the hepatic parenchyma.

Transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is by far the most common neoplasm of the urinary system in dogs.

Mammary tumors are the third most common feline cancer, 1-3 accounting for 10.3% to 12% of all diagnosed tumors.

Cancer remains one of the most common serious ailments of aging pets. However, better diagnostic capabilities and improved therapeutic options now often translate into enhanced quality of life and longer survival.

In this retrospective study from a university teaching hospital, five dogs with progressive, unilateral forelimb lameness and neurologic deficits having undergone ultrasonographic evaluation of the brachial plexus region were described.

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) are common for a practitioner to see as they compromise up to 15 percent of all skin tumors in dogs. The terms spindle-cell tumors and mesenchymal tumors have also been used to describe these tumors. STS are considered to be a family of tumors given that they are all derived from connective tissues and have a similar biologic behavior regardless of the histologic type (see Table 1). Histiocytic sarcomas, oral sarcomas, hemangiosarcoma and synovial cell sarcoma are generally not included given that these tumors have a different biologic behavior.

The eyes are often a site of primary or metastatic neoplasia.

In this retrospective study from the Animal Medical Center in New York City, the medical records of 18 cats with feline cutaneous hemangiosarcoma were reviewed, and the cats' clinical features and responses to surgery were described.

Pain negatively affects quality of life as well as many important physiological functions, so controlling it in all patients should be a top priority.

Recent publications, ongoing prospective studies, and better knowledge of the available therapeutic options should provide the necessary framework for appropriate pain management in cancer-bearing pets.

Lymphoma is the most common hematopoietic neoplasm affecting both dogs and cats and results from the malignant transformation of lymphocytes.