At some point in a pet’s life, the owner will be faced with this difficult question. The information below is provided as a guide to help you make the decisions you will need to make.
Caring for a pet with cancer is always a team effort. The owner of the animal is central to the treatment and management of the disease. The veterinarian and other members of the veterinary care team provide information and recommendations and perform tests and m
Your veterinarian has several options for treating pets with neoplasia. There are 3 common treatment options for animal cancer and tumor: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy). Each of these options can be used alone or in combin
There are things that pet owners can do to reduce the risk of certain types of cancers in their pets. The most common cancer preventive step is spaying or neutering. There is scientific evidence about the risks and benefits of these procedures for both cats and d
As is the case with cancer in humans, some types of cancer are more common in pets than others. Breast (mammary) cancer, skin cancer, bone cancer, mouth (oral) cancer, connective tissue cancers (sarcomas), and lymphatic tissue cancers (lymphomas) are most frequen
Cancer is not a new disease. Physicians have been aware of cancer in humans for over 2,000 years. As a result, researchers have studied cancer in humans for generations. During the past hundred years, considerable progress has been made in understanding the spread and development of cancers in humans. Much of this knowledge is useful
Once a cell has turned cancerous (malignant), it starts growing and spreading. Because there is no control on the growth of these cells, the cancer will often take advantage of any available path to spread and find new places to grow. This process is called metas
Cancer is a type of neoplasia (meaning new growth) made up of abnormal cells that are often, but not always, consolidated into a mass (a swelling) called a tumor, or neoplasm. The common characteristic of all neoplastic cells is the absence of normal growth control mechanisms. Normal, healthy cells grow and reproduce only to replace
The rate of cancer among dogs and cats is similar to the rate of cancer among humans. Cats seem to get cancer a little less frequently than humans while dogs seem to develop cancer slightly more frequently than humans. For most species, the chance of cancer occur