Veterinary oncology is a subspecialty of

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

that deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals. Cancer is a major cause of death in pet animals. In one study, 45% of the dogs that reached 10 years of age or older died of cancer.

Skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...

tumors A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

are the most frequently diagnosed type of tumor in domestic animals for two reasons: 1. constant exposure of animal skin to the sun and external environment, 2. skin tumors are easy to see because they are on the outside of the animal.

Cancer statistics

Male dogs

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Female dogs

''These statistics, being from the 1960s, may not be an accurate representation of cancer in dogs currently.''

Human-animal cancer connections

Companion animals such as dogs and cats suffer from many of the same types of cancer as humans. Cancer research with dogs has helped in the design of clinical trials for cancer therapy for humans. In the spirit of the

One Health One Health is an approach calling for "the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment", as defined by the One Health Initiative Task For ...

movement (global collaborative research on human and animal health) such human-animal connections in cancer research could benefit both humans and animals with cancer in the future. Animals with cancer also sometimes function as

animal sentinel Sentinel species are organisms, often animals, used to detect risks to humans by providing advance warning of a danger. The terms primarily apply in the context of environmental hazards rather than those from other sources. Some animals can ac ...

s that provide an early warning of

carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subs ...

s and an environmental health hazard to humans.

Ethical issues

Veterinarians A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

use the HHHHHMM Scale to discuss animal

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

with pet owners before a euthanasia decision is made for a pet with an incurable disease such as cancer (the letters stand for Hurt Hunger Hydration Hygiene Happiness Mobility and "More good days than bad days").Villalobos, A.E., Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, Veterinary Practice News, September 2004 in Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, Blackwell Publishing, Table 10.1, 2006 Adaption: http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/bond-beyond/quality-of-life-scale.aspx

Cancer statistics

Male dogs

Female dogs

Human-animal cancer connections

Ethical issues

References

See also