Orlando/Melbourne: (407) 930-6679
 Fort Lauderdale/all other locations: (954) 527-3111

Common Signs of Cancer: Part 1

Pet owners want to understand and be aware of any possible signs and causes of cancer. Below are a few behaviors to monitor. When in doubt, always consult with your primary care veterinarian regarding any changes in behavior or physical appearance. Monitoring your pet’s appetite is an important way to determine if your pet is ill. Changes in the appetite can be the first sign that there is something wrong. Appetite changes can occur for numerous reasons. Tumors in the mouth or stomach can make it difficult for a pet to chew or swallow. Cancer in the liver or kidneys can interfere with the function of these organs and make the pet feel nauseated so that there is no appetite present.

Understanding Leukemia

White blood cells are an important part of the immune system in both animals and humans. When these cells, which come in various types, begin to divide out of control in the blood or bone marrow, they become the cancer known as leukemia. This type of cancer can be either acute or chronic.

Acute cancer cells are immature, while chronic cancerous cells are more mature. The acute cells tend to be more aggressive because they are more readily able to divide and do so at a rapid rate. In this type of cancer, the bone marrow is unable to produce healthy cells due to the presence of the cancerous cells overcrowding the marrow. It also tends to have poor responses to chemotherapy.

Oral Cancers in Dogs

Who doesn’t love dog kisses? So, if your primary care veterinarian suspects cancer in your pup’s mouth, consider an immediate consultation with an oncology specialist.

One type of oral cancer common in dogs is melanoma, which can exist in the skin in the mouth, as well as other parts of the body. Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Cocker Spaniels, and Poodles tend to get melanoma more often than other breeds.

Melanoma inside of the mouth can be aggressive. Without treatment, survival times may be limited because eating becomes difficult. Staging tests are recommended as step one in managing melanoma. These tests often include chest radiographs, aspirates of the draining lymph nodes, bloodwork, and an abdominal ultrasound.

Common Cat Cancers

Because cats experience a wide range of cancer types and each case is unique, this blog provides an overview of common cancers by breed, as well as insights into two cancers common in cats.
Siamese cats can have higher rates of mammary, intestinal and mast cell tumors and sometimes develop cancer at younger ages than other breeds. Persian cats can be more prone to basal cell tumors and have a higher risk of sebaceous gland tumors and skin cancers. Maine Coons can have higher rates of hip dysplasia, which can lead to bone cancer. They also tend to be more susceptible to lymphoma and spinal cord tumors. All light-colored cats can be more susceptible to squamous cell carcinoma, especially if they have pink noses or ears or areas of unpigmented skin.

Immunotherapy Offers New Hope for Dogs

Merck Animal Health’s Esther Chon, DVM, DACVIM, Board Certified in Oncology, delivered “Updates on Immunotherapy,” as the last summer webinar in ACCC’s annual “How to Navigate through the Cancer Diagnosis” series for primary care veterinarians. A recording of her presentation is available HERE. Merck Animal Health has sponsored the summer series for the past three years.

Dr. Chon’s talk focused on the promise of immunotherapy as the new fourth pillar of treatment options in the fight against cancer in pets.  In addition to the traditional protocols of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, immunotherapy offers new hope, thanks to promising immune checkpoint inhibitors, including Merck Animal Health’s gilvetmab.

Canine Lung Cancer Insights

Lung cancer in dogs is not commonly discussed among veterinarians, according to ACCC’s oncologist Ashlyn Williams, DVM, Practice Limited to Oncology. However, she has seen an alarming rise in such cases recently at ACCC’s headquarters and Fort Lauderdale clinic and decided to prepare “The Cough That Broke the Camel’s Back: Canine Pulmonary Carcinoma” for the third webinar in the summer series, “How to Navigate Through the Cancer Diagnosis.”

A record number of primary care veterinarians from across Florida attended the August 20th talk, which can be reviewed in its entirety. Below are highlights from her presentation.

Radiation Therapy and Bone Tumors

ACCC’s Jarred Lyons, DVM, Board-Certified in Radiation Oncology, presented “Bone Tumors: Surgery Is Not Feasible or Desired, So What’s Next?” at the second session of the summer webinar series for veterinarians, “How to Navigate Through the Cancer Diagnosis.” His detailed overview of the types of bone cancers typically found in dogs included state-of-the-art treatment protocols, current research reports, and insights into his own experience treating animals with cancer over the past nearly two decades in both California and Florida.

ACCC Surgeons Answer Common Questions in Webinar

ACCC’s Tammi Ruddle, DVM, Board-Certified in Surgery, and Robin Holtsinger, DVM, Board-Certified in Surgery, presented The Five Most Commonly Asked Questions of Our Surgical Team at the June webinar held for referring veterinarians across Florida. Merck Animal Health once again is the sponsor of the series. In summary, they led a lively and candid discussion about challenges faced by surgeons solely dedicated to the care of cancer in pets. Read on for a few of the key points they reviewed.

The Use of Chemotherapy in the Fight Against Cancer

Cancer has been referred to as “the immortal cell” because cancer cells have mutated and developed six “hallmarks of cancer.” This mutation allows cancer cells to continually divide, invade tissues and spread throughout the body. When critical cell receptors are changed by cancer cells, the body’s normal immune system is no longer able to remove these wayward cells.
Chemotherapy is one of the main strategies used to fight back with many types of cancer. Different drugs are designed to interfere with cancer cells during different points of the cell cycle, such as DNA replication, cell division, and cell signaling pathways. By studying the way cancer cells mutate and originate, more targeted chemotherapeutics are being developed to help in the fight against cancer.

What is that Bump on My Pet’s Eyelid?

Benign masses called “meibomian gland adenomas,” which originate from normal glands on the eyelids, are the most commonly diagnosed mass on the eyelid in dogs. The second most common type of mass found on the eyelid contains melanocytes, which are cells that produce pigment. Approximately 67 to 82% of these masses are benign, and 13-37% are malignant melanomas (skin cancer). Eyelid melanoma in cats is rare; therefore, little research is available.

Pigmented masses on the inner eye tissue or conjunctiva are usually more aggressive melanomas. The first treatment of choice in these cases is surgery with cryotherapy (freezing of the tissue).