There are different approaches to cancer treatment and, for some types of cancer, the therapy may be individualized (precision medicine) based on information specific to the affected patient.
Treating cancer in dogs and cats hinges on the partnership between the primary care veterinarian and the veterinary oncologist. This collaborative team approach - with the pet patient and its owner at the core - is critical to the successful management of pets with cancer. This segment will delve into the wide array of treatment options that have emerged in the world of cancer care.
Dr. Chelsea Tripp will kick off this segment discussing some newer advancements in care that have fewer side effects than traditional IV chemotherapy. She will introduce us to novel therapies in cancer care such as Gold Nanoparticles and Stelfonta® and explain their applications in treating pets with cancer.
Dr. Tim Fan will expand on the discussion of how we can reduce the systemic toxicity associated with chemotherapy by directly and locally treating a tumor. He will highlight malignant melanoma of dogs as an example. He will describe a novel anchoring strategy for retaining potent anti-tumor cytokines to their location of injection, thereby exerting potent immune-activating properties locally. He will share results of a trial utilizing this method for treating dogs with malignant melanoma.
We will then turn our attention to learning about several other specific therapies and their indications for treating pets with cancer. Dr. Jeffrey Bryan will begin by explaining the role of genetics and epigenetics as it relates to tumor cells and how these can be modified or targeted with specific drugs. He will explain how the immune system interacts with tumors and their microenvironment and how that contributes to the destruction of cancer cells.
We also have another exciting addition to our armament for cancer care. Dr. Doug Thamm will introduce us to immune checkpoint inhibitors and explain how these agents can be used alone and in combination with other forms of cancer treatment. He will highlight which dogs stand most to benefit with this type of therapy.
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