Cancer is still one of the main reasons pets like dogs and cats get very sick or die. The usual ways to treat cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But newer methods are changing how vets treat cancer. These new treatments focus on each pet’s specific kind of cancer more carefully.
One big change in veterinary cancer care is the use of clinical trials for pets. Places like the Flint Animal Cancer Center in Colorado run many clinical trials. In 2019, they handled 35 different studies about cancers such as lymphoma, bone cancer, soft tissue cancer, nasal tumors, and brain tumors.
Clinical trials help test new medicines, surgeries, and treatments to see if they are safe and work well. Pets need to meet certain rules to take part, like having a confirmed cancer diagnosis and being healthy enough overall. Owners must bring their pets to the clinic regularly for checks. These trials try to find new ways to treat cancer and keep pets feeling better during treatment.
These studies are important because they give options when the usual treatments stop working. They also let vets collect useful information that helps other pets later. Programs like the “One Cure” work to connect cancer research in animals and people.
Precision medicine is a new way vets treat cancer by looking at a pet’s tumor genes. FidoCure® is a program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to study the DNA of dog cancers. It helps find the right treatment based on what mutations are found in each dog’s tumor.
This method can make treatment work better and cause fewer side effects compared to regular chemotherapy or radiation. Studies show that for fast-spreading cancers like hemangiosarcoma, targeted treatments can cut the risk of death by half.
FidoCure has collected the biggest set of data about dog cancers. They look at thousands of cases to learn more about tumors and treatments. For example, a dog named Forrest had splenic cancer and was expected to live only one month. With targeted treatment, he lived almost four years longer.
FidoCure also works with universities and research centers like Tufts University and the Broad Institute. They study cancer in dogs and humans to help find medicines that could help both.
Adoptive cell therapy, including CAR T-cell therapy, is a new way to fight cancer in pets. This treatment changes a pet’s own immune cells to find and kill cancer cells better. CAR T-cell therapy has helped some human blood cancers. Now vets are working to make it useful for dogs.
Dogs get cancers that are very similar to human tumors. This makes dogs good models for this kind of research. But vet trials face problems like making the engineered immune cells and stopping cancer cells from escaping attacks.
To make canine CAR T-cells, vets take T cells from the pet’s blood, activate them, then change them using viruses or mRNA to recognize cancer. The cells grow in the lab and are put back into the pet after some preparation treatments.
Many studies are testing different ways to use these immune cells, including those from donors or from other species, to make treatments work better and solve current problems.
Imaging and surgery tools have improved cancer care for pets. Centers like UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center use new techniques like interventional radiology and less invasive surgeries. These use real-time images to guide treatment, which means smaller cuts and faster heal times.
Oncology teams also use advanced imaging like PET scanners to see tumors better and check how treatments are working. UC Davis helped make the first PET scanner for horses.
New laser treatments help care for animals without big surgeries. Diode lasers offer better results for eye tumors compared to older methods.
Electrochemotherapy is another method. It sends electric pulses to tumors to help chemotherapy drugs work better locally. This way, pets get fewer side effects from the drugs.
AI is starting to help vets improve how they work. It helps with accurate cancer diagnosis and making treatment plans. Practice managers and IT staff in veterinary clinics can benefit from this technology.
AI can quickly review complex test results like blood tests, images, and genome data better than people alone. For example, vets at the University of California, Davis created AI tools that spot diseases like Addison’s disease and leptospirosis in pets with high accuracy.
This fast diagnosis helps vets make decisions sooner and treat pets faster, which can save lives.
FidoCure also uses AI to look at genetic data and suggest the best targeted treatments for dogs with cancer. The AI gets better over time by learning from treatment results.
AI also helps with office work like appointment booking, answering phone questions, and talking with clients. Simbo AI is a company that makes automated phone systems for veterinary offices.
Using these systems cuts down on work for staff. It lets them spend more time caring for pets. The systems can answer common questions about clinical trials, treatments, and availability.
AI tools built into management software help schedule appointments and send reminders. They can focus on urgent cases so specialists’ time is used well.
AI tools work best when linked to electronic medical records. They can alert vets about unusual test results, keep track of patient progress, and suggest treatment plans based on latest research and each pet’s details.
This helps make sure diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care are all connected and well planned, which is very important for treating cancer.
New cancer treatments for pets grow from teamwork among many specialists. UC Davis shows how teams of oncologists, surgeons, imagers, and support vets work together. For example, they treated a newborn foal with a serious infection over several weeks.
Teaching both veterinary staff and pet owners is key. When owners know about clinical trials, new cancer treatments, and precision medicine, they take part more in their pet’s care. Vet techs and administrators help by sharing clear information and good care during treatment.
Using these systems helps vet oncology services offer more advanced treatments, improve pet care, and handle more patients well.
Veterinary oncology in the United States is changing with new treatments like precision medicine, adoptive cell therapy, and improved surgery. Adding AI diagnostics and office automation also improves care and clinic work. Clinics using these methods can better meet the growing need for cancer care in pets and provide better care and support to owners.
Veterinarians at UC Davis developed AI algorithms to detect diseases like Addison’s and leptospirosis, achieving over 99% accuracy in diagnosing Addison’s and 100% sensitivity for leptospirosis, enabling quicker detection and critical decision-making for pet care.
Dr. Krystle Reagan and her team utilize AI to recognize complex patterns in blood work, significantly improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosing certain diseases in dogs.
AI tools are being developed to optimize the detection of various veterinary diseases, enhancing prognosis and treatment options for pets.
The MILE-PET® scanner allows assessment of injuries in horses and can monitor healing, greatly benefiting the equine racing industry.
Custom-fitted, 3D-printed titanium implants are now used for surgeries like total hip replacements, promising healthier, longer lives for pets suffering from hip disorders.
It involves real-time imaging for minimally invasive procedures, revolutionizing surgeries for companion animals and improving outcomes in cancer treatments and other conditions.
A multidisciplinary team approach ensures comprehensive treatment, exemplified by the successful care of a Thoroughbred foal suffering from sepsis, addressing multiple medical aspects collaboratively.
The lab works on gamete physiology and embryo development, with advancements like intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) facilitating complex reproduction processes in horses.
Novel therapies like electrochemotherapy and immunotherapy are emerging, enhancing treatment efficacy for pets with tumors and leveraging clinical trials for improved outcomes.
Innovative procedures like minimally invasive stenting and electrophysiology mappings improve diagnosis and treatment of heart conditions, previously only available at selected facilities.
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