Putting Cancer in Perspective (Page 2)
Resist the urge to try everything you have ever read, heard, found on the Internet, or think you remember hearing Uncle George used to cure cancer in the "old country". Some treatments are incompatible. Others are irreversible. If part of a bone is removed but "they didn't get it all", no amount of traditional or alternative therapies will replace the missing pieces. Most treatments take some time before the patient shows a response. No therapy stands much of a chance of success if the caregiver jumps from therapy to therapy every few days. Often the treatment is causing a profound internal response even through no superficial changes are noted.
Let the Doctor know why you prefer to avoid a particular therapy. If the odds of eradicating a particular cancer are favorable but the patient's hair will turn grey, don't risk losing a life in order to prevent a cosmetic chance. Also, let the Doctor know if you prefer to utilize a particular therapy.
Every therapy is not necessarily useful for every type of cancer in every patient. There are almost always "other options." If you ask the Doctor "Is there anything else we can try?" the answer will almost always be "Yes". But remember we are treating a patient, not a disease in a test tube. Always consider what is best for the patient.
Published in DVM News Magazine, December, 1997
Lymphatic cancer in dogs: Median survival 16 months with combination of 4 chemotherapy agents. "Important to adjust treatment to individual animals." "...some level of toxicity is unavoidable"
Lymphatic cancer in cats: Median survival 4.2 months with multiple chemo agents. "source of significant mortality despite introduction of Feline Leukemia vaccines in 1985." "only 8% where FeLV (leukemia virus) positive." "Intestinal form has median survival rate of 1.6 months"
Bone cancer in dogs: One year survival of 11.2% with just surgery.
Recurrent or metastatic mast cell: Usually only beneficial for few weeks. No better than 20% response rate.
Breast cancer in dogs: "no benefit to spay (ovariohysterectomy) once carcinoma has formed." "Tumors larger than 5 cm (2") have a much poorer prognosis than those with smaller carcinomas."
Breast cancer in cats: "cats with tumors larger than 3 cm (1.2") in diameter have a 6 month median survival time."
Primary lung tumors in dogs: Following lung lobe removal, "median survival is only 10 weeks for dogs with lymph node metastasis". "Adjuvant chemotherapy...may be palliative." i.e. make feel better but does not alter end result.
From Dr. Villalobos at the Animal Cancer Center
"Cancer is the major killer of senior pets world wide."
"Many oncologists still remain pessimistic about the capability of systemic chemotherapy (to cure) soft tissue sarcomas."
Regarding vaccine associated sarcomas in cats; "Dr. Pederson suggests reducing vaccination as one reduces exposures to carcinogens, just as we quit smoking to prevent cancer."
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