veterinary oncology
{{Short description|Cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals}}
File:Mast cell tumor on lip.JPG
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.{{cite book |last1=Withrow |first1=Stephen J. |chapter=Why worry about cancer in pets? |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ZKp2IicDt0C&pg=PR15 |editor1-last=Withrow |editor1-first=Stephen J. |editor2-last=MacEwen |editor2-first=E. Gregory |title=Small Animal Clinical Oncology |edition=4th |location=Philadelphia |publisher=W.B. Saunders |year=2007 |pages=xv–xvii |isbn=978-0-7216-0558-6 }}
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.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
History
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.{{cite book | last=Culp | first=William T.N. | last2=Ehrhart | first2=Nicole | title=Veterinary Surgical Oncology | chapter=Principles of Surgical Oncology | publisher=Wiley | date=2022-04-29 | isbn=978-1-119-08905-6 | doi=10.1002/9781119089124.ch1 | page=1–16}}
Cancer statistics
=Male dogs=
| class="wikitable" |
| Type of Cancer
! % of Total Cancer |
|---|
| Connective Tissue
| 17 |
| Testis
| 16 |
| Skin (Melanoma)
| 14 |
| Mouth and Throat
| 10 |
| Lymphoma
| 10 |
| Bone
| 4 |
| Stomach and Intestines
| 3 |
| Nasal cavity
| 1–2 |
=Female dogs=
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.{{cite journal |pmid=20391394 |url=http://www.izs.it/vet_italiana/2009/45_1/111.pdf |year=2009 |last1=Thamm |first1=D |title=How companion animals contribute to the fight against cancer in humans |journal=Veterinaria Italiana |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=111–20 |last2=Dow |first2=S }}
Animals with cancer also sometimes function as animal sentinels that provide an early warning of carcinogens and an environmental health hazard to humans.{{cite journal |pmid=20148187 |pmc=2818012 |year=2009 |last1=Rabinowitz |first1=P |title=Human and animal sentinels for shared health risks |journal=Veterinaria Italiana |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=23–4 |last2=Scotch |first2=M |last3=Conti |first3=L }}Withrow, Stephen J., and MacEwen, E. Gregory, eds. Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders, c2007, pp. 12–15.
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").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.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
See also
Specific cancers