5 Common Misconceptions About Cancer in Veterinary Medicine
By Caroline Hohlman, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology)
Board Certified in Veterinary Oncology
Remember: This information does not replace consultation with and physical exam by a veterinarian. Always consult your veterinarian for advice about your specific pet. When in doubt about an emergency, call our VSEC emergency service and we can help guide you anytime, day or night: (914) 315-4600.
A cancer diagnosis can be frightening and overwhelming for any pet family, especially with the negative connotations that cancer carries in human medicine. While the internet provides a vast amount of information on the cancers that can develop in our pets, it can become difficult to distinguish reliable veterinary information from generalized advice that may not apply to your pet’s specific diagnosis.
At Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center (VSEC), we are here to help you navigate this difficult journey and better decipher the misconceptions that may arise when your four-legged family member has been diagnosed with cancer. The VSEC Oncology team offers specialized care in Medical Oncology, which includes systemic therapies such as chemotherapy, certain immunotherapies and systemic palliative care.
We are hopeful that this article can help provide some insight into common misconceptions about cancer in cats and dogs.
Myth #1: Every form of cancer is considered equal.
FACT: Each cancer and the patient they arise in is unique.
Cancer is a disease process that occurs when normal cells start to undergo mutations within the body, leading to an overgrowth in that abnormal cell. While some cells within the body are more likely to undergo the changes that lead to the development of cancer, there are still quite a variety of differences amongst how each cell may do so. Some cancers are prone to developing in a localized sense and can be addressed with treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy, whereas others spread throughout the body necessitating a systemic approach - that’s where the Medical Oncology Team at VSEC in Mamaroneck steps in.
While our oncology team does their best to predict how each cancer may act based on the available literature and their clinical experience, each cancer and the patient they arise in is unique. Thus, oncologists cannot always predict how a tumor may progress, nor how long they may respond to therapy. Some cancers may have a better prognosis than others, but we will always sit down and talk through what is often expected with your pet’s specific cancer, as well as what to expect when treatment is pursued. We also discuss scenarios in which everything doesn’t go as planned and what to expect as we move forward. While we do not always obtain a cure in veterinary oncology, we hope to at least slow down the time in which the cancer starts to affect your pet’s quality of life and prolong the invaluable time you have with them.
Meet Dr. Caroline Hohlman, who leads the VSEC oncology team.
Myth #2: My pet is too old to tolerate chemotherapy treatments.
FACT: Many pets considered middle to older age tolerate treatments just as well as a younger patient might.
One important principle that guides the VSEC oncology team: “age should not be considered a disease.” While there are certain disease processes that may develop as a patient gets older, such as kidney or heart disease, most of the pets we see are considered middle to older age and tend to tolerate treatments just as well as a younger patient might. If there are any comorbidities that your pet has developed over time, we do our best to address their cancer in a way that will not offset those diseases.
Our goal at VSEC is always going to include prioritizing your pet’s quality of life and that includes making treatment decisions based on the entire picture and not simply the diagnosis.
Myth #3: My pet’s quality of life is going to decline while they are undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
FACT: At VSEC, our goal is to keep cancer at bay for as long as possible without sacrificing your pet’s quality of life.
While we do pull certain information and treatments from human oncology, our goals are focused on maintaining a durable quality of life rather than simply focusing on a quantity. This approach includes using similar chemotherapies that a human might receive, but at much lower dosages and frequencies to avoid intolerable side effects. At VSEC, our goals prioritize keeping the cancer at bay for as long as possible, without sacrificing your pet’s daily joys in life.
Our patients may experience similar side effects from chemotherapies compared to humans, but they are much less severe and tend to be quite subtle in nature. This often includes lethargy, gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence..etc.) and suppression of the immune system. Specific chemotherapies might also have unique side effects, but they are managed accordingly, especially if your pet has a condition that precludes them from receiving a certain treatment. Often, supportive medications can be utilized for the 1-2 days they may be feeling down and most clients are very surprised to see that their pets feel even better when undergoing treatments. As with any medication, there will of course be a subset of patients that do not tolerate chemotherapy well and <5-10% of patients may end up in the hospital due to more severe side effects.
If any patients develop severe enough side effects that require a trip to an emergency center or hospitalization, alterations in the treatment plan will be discussed at length. While there are several different chemotherapy protocols, pet families are never “stuck” in a particular treatment plan, and they have the option to change or stop therapy at any time.
Myth #4: There is only one gold standard of care for cancer treatments.
FACT: The gold standard for your pet is what best suits them, and what you feel they can tolerate.
Research studies often describe the most commonly used treatment options for specific cancer types and attempt to establish which therapies are considered the best in controlling the disease process itself. What they sometimes fail to take into account is that cancer care is not a “one-size fits all” type of scenario. While we do have research based evidence to say one protocol might address the cancer for a longer period of time, at VSEC we take the time to think about the entire picture as to what is going to bring about durable, quality time with your pet, over simply quantity. If your pet is sensitive to a specific chemotherapy protocol and the adverse effects are enough to alter their quality of life, we will often discuss the pros/cons of modifying their protocols or stopping treatment altogether. During your consultation, supportive medications are also discussed at length as they can be beneficial in treating not only the cancer, but the side effects that can develop secondary to the treatment. In some instances, not asking your pet to go through more intensive therapies is the better option for them.
At the end of the day, the gold standard for your pet is what you feel they can tolerate and best suits them when we put all the puzzle pieces together. There is no wrong answer when deciding on what treatment protocol should be pursued as you know your pet best and they know you are making these decisions with their quality of life as the driving factor.
Myth #5: Chemotherapy in veterinary oncology is always prohibitively expensive.
FACT: Pricing for chemotherapy can vary, and options for financial support are available at VSEC.
There will certainly be treatment protocols that fall into a more expensive price range, but they are not the only protocols available. Pricing for chemotherapy can be quite variable and depend on the cancer being treated and the protocol elected. At VSEC, we are here to help provide information on what treatment options will not only address a pet’s cancer, but are also financially feasible for each particular family. This also includes working alongside your primary care veterinarian to limit costs where we can. Options for financial support, such as CareCredit/Scratch Pay, are also available. At your consultations the VSEC oncology team goes through every option and ultimately picks the one that best suits not only your pet, but your family as well.
Now Accepting Specialist Appointments
Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center in Westchester has a 24-hour pet emergency department and board-certified specialists in emergency & critical care, oncology, surgery, and cardiology. Call us anytime, day or night at (914) 315-4600.
