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| CANCER
IN PETS IS NOT UNCOMMON Cancer is an often life-threatening disease that many people think affects only humans. So it comes as a shock to many pet owners when their pet is diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Ruthanne Chun, assistant professor of clinical sciences at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, says cancer in animals is not uncommon and it is very similar to cancer in humans. "It can either be genetic, environmental or just a random mutation, so it's very similar to cancer in people," Chun said. "The common types of cancer that we see may be more common because we can detect them more easily. "They involve the lymph nodes, limbs or skin tumors, so they are visible and easy to see," she said. "There are some tumors in dogs like lung tumors that we might not pick up at all until they're very large and causing the dog to have clinical problems, so it really depends on the type of cancer." Chun says there are a number of indicators that an animal may have cancer. The best way to detect cancer, she advises, is for owners to feel their animals over carefully once a week. "Just pet them thoroughly once a week and feel for abnormal lumps, bumps, swellings and any area that's painful," Chun said. "Sometimes animals will have open wounds that are ulcerated that don't heal for a long time, and that would be another potential sign that it's cancer." There are also very non-specific things like not eating well, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea, she said. Also, certain breeds are more prone to getting cancer than others. "Breeds such as boxers, Bernese mountain dogs and golden retrievers are overrepresented in the development of cancer," Chun said. "There have even been studies that have traced the family tree of dogs, and these have suggested a genetic predisposition." Often the diagnosis of cancer leaves owners feeling that there is no hope for their pet. However, Chun says that many times the cancer can be treated, and the pet can continue to lead a fulfilling life. "When we treat animals with cancer, we carefully measure how good is the animal's quality of life versus how aggressive should we be with our therapy," Chun said. "We use the same types of drugs that they use in human medicine, but because we really want to maintain a good to excellent quality of life in our patients we tend to use lower doses at less frequent intervals." Veterinarians have designed their chemotherapy protocols for animals so that pets don't become terribly ill, Chun said. Less than 5 percent of the animals develop severe vomiting, diarrhea or a drop in their blood counts and need to be hospitalized. "Most of my patients and the owners don't even realize that the animal has had chemotherapy," she said. "Owners always worry about the animal's hair falling out. "Bald dogs do look pretty different, but it's actually not very common for their hair to fall out," Chun said. "Animals that always have to go to the groomers, those are the ones we worry about losing their hair. But once chemotherapy is over, the animal's hair grows back in." Cost is a significant factor in deciding to go through with the cancer treatments. For many people, their pets are more than just animals, so the owners want to do everything that they can to prolong their lives and keep them feeling good. "I know a lot of people say, 'Well $2,000, I don't have that kind of money, I can't afford it,' and I understand and wish we could make things cheaper, but for other people they feel very strongly that it is worth it and they can set aside the funds," Chun said. "If we look at it solely from the animal's point of view, and are able to buy them another eight to 12 months to maybe even a year and a half, that's a very long time from that animal's point of view. So usually from their perspective I think it's worth it." |
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CANCER RISKS IN CATS AND DOGS |
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| CANCER
RISKS IN CATS AND DOGS PET COLUMN FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 19, 1998 CEPS/Veterinary Extension 2938 Vet. Med. Basic Sciences Bldg. 2001 S. Lincoln Ave. Urbana, Illinois 61802 Phone: 217/333-2907 By Theresa A. Fuess, Ph.D. Information Specialist University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine "Most people are familiar with environmental risk factors for cancer in people," notes Dr. Barbara E. Kitchell, oncologist and veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital at Urbana. "Pet owners should also be aware of the risk factors for cancer in their pets." Spaying and neutering can reduce the risk of cancer. Dogs spayed before the first heat cycle have only half the risk of mammary carcinoma of those spayed after the first but before the second heat cycle. Dogs spayed after the fifth heat cycle or never spayed have the highest risk of mammary cancer. Testicular carcinomas or tumors in dogs are common, but having your dog neutered eliminates that risk. Fortunately, testicular cancer rarely spreads in dogs, unlike in human beings, so treatment has a high success rate. As in humans, animals that receive excessive exposure to sunlight are at risk for skin cancers, but only in animals or areas without hair or pigmentation. For cats, risk areas include the pink tip of the nose, the eyelids, and areas around the ears. For dogs the risk is associated with a fair complexion and exposure to the underbelly or inside of the back legs. In high mountain areas where ultraviolet light is particularly strong, skin cancer often affects pointers, bull terriers, pit bulls, and Dalmatians. "In Dalmatians," says Dr. Kitchell, "the cancer will circle around a black spot and won't enter the black skin." Dogs have a much higher incidence of nasal sinus cancer than do people. "This may be because they have more nose to get cancer in and because their noses are always on the ground sniffing up chemicals and other carcinogens that concentrate there," says Dr. Kitchell. Carcinogens range from herbicides and pesticides for dogs in rural areas to factory or automobile pollution for urban dogs. The mouth is the fourth most common site of cancer in domestic animals. It may be that mouth cancers arise at such high frequencies in dogs and cats because carcinogens from the air land on their coats and get into their oral tissues when they groom them-selves. Breeds with dark pigment in the mouth, such as German shepherds, black cocker spaniels, Scotties, and chows, are prone to melanoma in the mouth. Swelling around a tooth when there is no tooth injury or dental disease could be a sign of mouth cancer. Other breeds that are more susceptible to certain cancers include Siamese cats, which tend to get a variety of cancers, such as salivary carcinomas and intestinal carcinomas, at a younger age than others breeds. Mast cell tumors (in the connective tissue) are often seen in British short nose breeds, such as boxers, bull dogs, and Boston terriers, although any breed can get mast cell disease. Older giant or large-breed dogs are predisposed to bone cancers at the ends of long bones. These may result from tiny stress fractures that occur during the rambunctious puppy stage. Before you acquire a large-breed dog, it is important to ask the breeder if there has been cancer in their lines. In any pet, the site of an injury or other trauma may later develop cancer. It is known, for example, that cats sometimes develop sarcomas at vaccination sites. A dog or cat may also develop sarcoma at sites of old bone fractures, especially those associated with chronic non-healing or with loose implants such as a metal plate or pin. If your animal becomes lame later in life, cancer may have developed at the fracture site. Chronic inflammation is also associated with cancer. Cocker spaniels with chronic ear infections sometimes develop carcinoma in the cerumin gland, the wax-producing gland. Pets are protected against common "people" cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and lungs because pets generally eat a high-fiber, low-fat diet and do not smoke. "Many aspects of cancer are the same for people and for animals," says Dr. Kitchell. "For instance, cancer is typically a disease of aging. In cats and dogs, the peak incidence occurs at 10 to 12 years of age. For both people and animals, the sooner cancer is detected and treated, the better the chance the patient can be cured." For this reason, a geriatric checkup every six months is good idea for older animals. To catch the disease in the early stages, pet owners need to be alert to changes in their pet's behavior. Watch for rapid loss of weight; change in elimination habits; decreased energy level; physical symptoms, such as sneezing or coughing; changes in the shape, texture, or size of a wart or a mole; or a change in behavior patterns. Changes could be gradual or sudden. Dr. Kitchell advises owners to be observant. Both cats and dogs may hide symptoms. For cats, it seems to be a natural protective behavior not to let bigger animals know that they are sick. Dogs may continue to do things they don't feel well enough to do because they want to please their owner. For more information about pets and cancer, contact your local veterinarian. |
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