Surgery
Surgical removal of a tumor is typically the first important step to treating cancer. Although surgery plays a minor role in treating some cancers that are systemic by nature, such as lymphoma, other cancers, such as soft-tissue sarcomas and mast cell tumors, can be treated with surgery as a sole therapy. For others, surgery is needed to remove the primary tumor and works in conjunction with chemotherapy to then treat the potential for metastasis.
Veterinary oncologic surgeons are board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and they have completed a one-year fellowship focusing on cancer surgery. In addition, there are board-certified surgeons who devote a large portion of their practice to cancer surgery but have not done a fellowship.
Learn more about treating cancer with surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs given either by mouth or injection. Chemotherapy for cancer treatment is most often used to limit metastasis, the spread or movement of cancer from the primary/initial site to another site in the body. Another common use is to treat lymphoma, which is a systemic disease in its behavior. Common side effects include gastrointestinal upset and low blood cell counts.
Veterinary oncologists are board certified through the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and they focus on diagnosis and treatment planning as well as chemotherapy.
Learn more about treating cancer with chemotherapy.
Radiation
Radiation therapy is the delivery of energy to the tumor tissue with enough strength to damage DNA, which causes a cell to be unable to divide and create more cells, thus limiting or arresting the growth of a tumor. This requires a specialized machine with dedicated facilities. Radiation treats the area on which it is focused and does not treat a pet for the possibility of metastasis. It is most often used to treat areas where surgery could not re`move the entire tumor.
Veterinary radiation oncologists are board certified through the American College of Veterinary Radiology, and they focus on planning and delivery of radiation to the affected area.
Learn more about treating cancer with radiation.
Electrochemotherapy
Electrochemotherapy is the introduction of chemotherapy into the body by intravenous injection or intralesional (directly into the tumor) injection, followed by electrical impulses applied to the tumor or region where the tumor was present. These impulses cause holes to be opened in the membrane of the tumor cells, allowing chemotherapy to reach higher concentration in the cells than would occur without the holes. This approach has proven useful for treating cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, mast cell tumors, soft tissue sarcomas and other tumor types.
Immunotherapy
The oncology service is partnering with ELIAS Animal Health to offer immunotherapy for osteosarcoma. Dogs of any breed, age, or sex may be a candidate for this treatment if he/she meets the following criteria:
- Newly diagnosed with appendicular osteosarcoma with the limb still in place (bone cancer in a limb, not skull or spine)1
- Under the care of a veterinarian who has assessed the patient to be in sufficiently good health overall to undergo and complete the ~6-7 week treatment schedule
- Is not currently pregnant or lactating
- Has not previously received any treatments for its cancer
- Does not have metastatic disease (spread of cancer) at the time of diagnosis
- Is not currently on immunosuppressive drugs like prednisone or oclacitinib (a “washout” period prior to therapy may be needed for certain drugs)
- Does not have a second malignancy (cancer of a different type)
- Has an owner/guardian who is able to take the dog to 6-10 scheduled clinic visits during the 6-7 week treatment schedule
1As a potential platform technology, the company continues to evaluate the use of ECI® for other cancer indications.
ECI® is distributed as an experimental product under USDA 9 CFR 103.3. For use under supervision/prescription of a licensed veterinarian. Efficacy and safety have not been established.
According to the American Cancer Society “Immunotherapy is treatment that uses certain parts of a person’s immune system to fight diseases such as cancer. This can be done in a couple of ways:
- Stimulating your own immune system to work harder or smarter to attack cancer cells
- Giving you immune system components, such as man-made immune system proteins”1
Immunotherapy is increasingly prevalent in the treatment of human cancers, and many experts predict it will be the way cancer is ultimately defeated. Immunotherapy includes different treatment options that target the body’s immune system in a variety of ways. Some boost or modify the body’s immune system, while others help stimulate the immune system to target specific cancer cells. Some are used in combination.
ELIAS Animal Health’s ECI® (ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy) is a patented combination vaccine and T cell immunotherapy now available in the veterinary sector. First, the ECI® treatment protocol uses a vaccine derived from material extracted from the dog’s cancer tissue to produce an immune response. Second, T cells are safely obtained from the patient through apheresis and activated to produce a large population of killer T cells that are reinfused into the patient.
Results from ECI® osteosarcoma clinical studies were reported at the 2018 Veterinary Cancer Society Conference.2 Researchers noted that median survival times in dogs completing the standard protocol exceeded those typically reported for patients receiving amputation plus chemotherapy. Data from the study is expected to be published in 2019.3
You can find more information about ECI® and ELIAS Animal Health at https://eliasanimalhealth.com/
2 Flesner, et al, and Rusk, et al, Abstracts presented at October 2018 Veterinary Cancer Society Conference.
3 ELIAS cancer immunotherapy is distributed as an experimental product under USDA 9 CFR 103.3. For use under supervision/prescription of a licensed veterinarian. Efficacy and safety have not been established.
ECI® description
ELIAS Animal Health’s ECI® (ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy) is a patented combination vaccine and T cell immunotherapy now available in the veterinary sector. First, the ECI® treatment protocol uses a vaccine derived from material extracted from the dog’s cancer tissue to produce an immune response. Second, T cells are safely obtained from the patient through apheresis and activated to produce a large population of killer T cells that are reinfused into the patient.
Results from ECI® osteosarcoma clinical studies were reported at the 2018 Veterinary Cancer Society Conference.1 Researchers noted that medial survival times in dogs completing the standard protocol exceeded those typically reported for patients receiving amputation plus chemotherapy. Data from the study is expected to be published in 2019.2
You can find more information about ECI® and ELIAS Animal Health at https://eliasanimalhealth.com/
1 Flesner, et al, and Rusk, et al. Abstracts presented at October 2018 Veterinary Cancer Society Conference.
2 ELIAS cancer immunotherapy is distributed as an experimental product under USDA 9 CFR 103.3. For use under supervision/prescription of a licensed veterinarian. Efficacy and safety have not been established.
