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This information is provided by
Provet for educational purposes only.
You should seek the advice of your
veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the
diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.
Cancer is a word that conjures up
fear, but it is often misused and not well understood There
are several words that are in common use to describe unusual "lumps"
and "bumps", and which have overlapping meanings :
- A growth - is a term often used to
describe any abnormal tissue mass
- A tumour - is used to describe a
tissue swelling, or mass
- The term neoplasm literally means a
"new growth" and neoplasia is used to describe an
abnormal tissue mass which grows outside the body's normal control of
tissues. A neoplasm has 3 main features :
- It grows excessively
- It does not respond to the body's
control mechanisms
- It continues to grow even after the
initial cause has gone
Neoplasms can be :
- Benign - these grow slowly, remain
localised in the tissues in which they form, resemble the tissue in
which they form, they often have a capsule around them, they
rarely cause serious clinical signs and never spread to other parts of
the body.
- Malignant - these may not resemble the
tissue in which they form, they often grow rapidly, and many do spread
to other parts of the body (a process called "metastatic" or
"secondary" spread).
- A cancer is the commonly used term
for a malignant neoplasm.
So, when used properly, the term cancer
does imply a serious situation, because the diagnosis of a malignant neoplasm
has been made.
Cancers can occur at any age, but most forms of cancer are more common in
older animals.
What causes cancer ? For many types of cancer the underlying cause is not
known, but some of the known causes include :
- Exposure to substances (called carcinogens) which cause neoplasia
- Chemicals - many pollutants
- Physical agents - radiation eg ultraviolet radiation in sunlight,
XRays, radioactive radiation
- Viruses - eg feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)
- Genetic inheritance. It is now known that certain individuals are
predisposed to develop cancer through inheritance. Click
here for information about dog breed susceptibilities to develop
cancer.
Whether or not a cancer can be successfully
treated, or whether it is life-threatening or not, depends upon several
factors :
- The type of cancer. Some cancers are highly
malignant and carry a much higher risk, and a poorer prognosis than
others. For example, malignant melanoma in dogs is much more difficult to
treat successfully than lymphoma.
- The location of the cancer in the body. If
it involves (initially or through secondary spread) a vital organ system
such as the brain, the lungs, the heart or liver, it is more likely to be
life-threatening.
- How advanced the disease is at the time the
cancer is diagnosed. Even highly malignant cancers can be successfully
treated if they have not spread to other parts of the body at the time
they are diagnosed and treatment is started immediately.
- The state of the animal to overcome the
disease. Very old, weak animals, animals with other diseases, or animals
with a poor immune system will find it harder to overcome a cancer than
young, healthy animals.
It is important to realize that nowadays MOST
FORMS OF CANCER can be treated with a reasonable likelihood of a satisfactory
outcome.
How are cancers treated ? There are many
different forms of cancer treatment, and the choice depends upon the type of
cancer, how advanced it is, and it's location. The most common forms of
treatment (which are often used in combination) are :
- Surgical removal
- Anti-cancer drugs
- chemotherapy
- immunotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Others - eg hyperthermia (heat treatment)
- In the future genetic engineering and gene
therapy may help us to prevent and treat various forms of cancer.
There are many other important facets to
successful cancer treatment including providing pain relief, proper dietary
management and an owners tender loving care throughout the treatment period.
Provet Advice The
most important factor in the successful management of cancer is early
diagnosis and treatment. Many owners delay seeking veterinary attention when
they see an unusual mass, especially if they have an old animal, because they
are worried that if it is a cancer the veterinarian may recommend
euthanasia. Whilst euthanasia of course has to be reserved for very ill
patients with little chance of survival, most cancers can be treated, so get a
veterinary opinion as soon as you can. Updated
October 2013
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