Oncology

Treatment of tumors (cancer) in dogs and cats remains a challenge for veterinarians. Tumors can grow in any part of the body and their behavior can range from benign to malignant. Benign tumors are growths that do not invade tissues or spread to other areas of the body. Benign tumors are usually cured with complete surgical removal. Malignant tumors are locally aggressive and tend to spread to other areas of the body (metastasize) or recur, even after surgical removal. The most appropriate treatment for a certain type of cancer depends upon numerous factors including: tumor type, tumor location, and the overall health of the patient. In many cases, the most successful regimen involves a combination of different treatment modalities including: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Significant progress has been made in recent years that has allowed veterinarians to treat cancer more comprehensively and effectively than ever before. This has greatly improved the prognosis for many pets with cancer.

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How Our Patients are Anesthetized

The specific name a tumor is given relates to what type of tissue it resembles (i.e. bone or nerve) and whether it is benign or malignant.

Common Tumors in Dogs Include Tumors of:
Common Tumors in Cats Include Tumors of:

Designing and implementing an effective treatment strategy for a cancer patient is best achieved through the combined effort of several individuals. Specialists in different areas can bring their skill, expertise, and experience to the table to formulate an effective treatment strategy. Central to this process is maintaining a good quality of life for the patient, and preserving the human-animal bond that has made pets such important parts of our daily lives.

Surgical removal of tumors is the most common, and often the most effective, way to treat cancer in pets. Procedures to remove tumors range from relatively simple to extremely complex. As a rule, removal of small tumors that involve non-vital tissues (i.e. small skin lump) is much less involved than removing large tumors that grow in vital areas (i.e. head and chest cavity). The goals of surgical oncology are to remove all of the cancerous tissue while preserving function and cosmesis of the patient. Because of this, considerable surgical expertise and thorough knowledge of reconstructive, and surgical oncologic techniques, are needed to effectively treat many tumors. Vetcision's board certified surgeons are extensively trained in complex tumor removal and reconstructive techniques. This attention to detail and modern methods is coupled with compassion and caring for our patients.

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How Our Patients are Anesthetized

Vetcision is located just up the street from the New England Veterinary Oncology Group (NEVOG). This partnership is ideally suited for consultation and active communication between the surgeons and oncologists, thus enhancing the quality of care provided to our patients. The facility at Vetcision/NEVOG includes a Computer Aided Tomography (CT) scanner and linear accelerator located on site. The CT scanner can display multiple, 3-dimensional X–ray images of a tumor and the surrounding tissue. These images provide the surgeons with highly detailed information regarding a tumor’s location and also allow precise pre-operative planning. The linear accelerator is used to provide radiation therapy. This instrument can precisely focus a powerful beam of radiation into a tumor or tumor bed. For some cancers, the combination of surgical removal and postoperative radiation is ideal, and can provide long-term comfort and survival for pets with malignant tumors.

At Vetcision, we know how devastating a diagnosis of cancer can be. Our aim is to provide a superior level of veterinary and specialty care to all of our patients. Vetcision’s state-of-the-art facility, and staff of multiple specialists, is well suited to that end.

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NEVOG linear accelerator for radiation therapy.

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