One of the things you will find when performing an internet search is that immunostimulants and other supplements, preparations, herbals, etc., are fairly common on the Net. Often, if one has a loved pet that has cancer, given the paucity of traditional treatments, and given that your Veterinarian may not be sanguine about your pet's prognosis, there is a tendency for pet owners, much like human relatives struck with cancer, to grasp at any hope. While this is understandable, one can spend lots of money on supplements, vitamins, herbals, and preparations which may be of dubious help.
One quick reference with regard to treatment of catswith cancers is :http://pets.webmd.com/cats/treating-tumors-cancer-cats
Treating Tumors and Cancer in Cats
"The best possible treatment option is surgical removal of a cancer that has not spread. To prevent recurrence, a surrounding margin of normal tissue should also be removed. An initial approach that removes the tumor with an adequate margin of normal tissue may be the most important factor in controlling cancer. When a cancer recurs locally because of incomplete excision, the opportunity for cure is often lost. That’s why surgeons speak of “clean margins,” meaning no cancer cells are found on the edges of the surgical excision.
A cancer that spreads only to local lymph nodes may still be cured if all the involved nodes can be removed along with the primary tumor. Even when a cancer is widespread, removing a bleeding or infected mass, or simply a large one that is interfering with a normal physical function, can provide relief and temporarily improve the quality of life.
Electrocautery and cryosurgery are two techniques by which tumors on the surface of the body can be removed. Electrocautery means burning off the tumor using electricity; cryosurgery involves freezing the tumor to remove it. These methods provide an alternative to surgical removal and are suitable for benign tumors. New surgery techniques may use lasers or hyperthermy-heat treatment.
Radiation therapy is useful in managing some surface tumors and deeply situated tumors that cannot be controlled by surgery. Cures are possible. A potential disadvantage of radiation therapy is that it requires special equipment and must be done at a medical center. Radiation therapy can also be done to relieve pain, especially with very painful cancers such as osteosarcoma (bone cancer).
Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs given at prescribed intervals. These drugs, even when tightly controlled, have major side effects. Still, they are useful in managing some widely spread cancers. The development of new chemotherapy agents will lead to higher success with less side effects. In humans, chemotherapy is aimed at achieving a cure. In cats, chemotherapy is aimed at controlling the disease and giving the cat a period of remission.
Pain medications and nutritional management are now also important parts of cancer therapy. Nutritionally, cancerous cells seem to do well on carbohydrates and not so well on fat. Adding omega-3 fatty acids (think fish oils) to the diet may be helpful, as may adding the amino acid arginine. Although much of this work has been done primarily with dogs, it should apply to cats as well. The use of additional antioxidants is under discussion at this time.
- Surgery ‑ Surgery can completely remove a cancer or make it smaller so that chemotherapy and radiation are more effective. Risks include anesthesia, bleeding problems, and postoperative pain. Cures are possible with certain cancers and early intervention.
- Chemotherapy ‑ Chemotherapy uses drugs to try to kill the cancer cells with the least amount of damage to normal cells. Side effects can include nausea, lowered immunity, and bleeding problems. Cats don’t usually experience majorhair loss. Not all cancers are susceptible to chemotherapy.
- Radiation ‑Radiation uses specially calibrated X-rays to damage cancer tissues with the least amount of damage possible to normal
tissues. Side effects include tissue sloughing, lowered immunity, and damage to normal tissue. Anesthesia is required. This treatment is only available at veterinary referral centers. Not all cancers are susceptible to radiation and the location of the cancer may make this impossible. - Cryotherapy ‑ Cryotherapy uses probes to freeze cancerous tissues. The goal is to destroy the cancer with the least damage to surrounding normal tissues. This is only available at veterinary referral centers. Not all cancers are susceptible to cryotherapy, and the location of the cancer may make this therapy impossible.
- Hyperthermy ‑ Hyperthermy uses heat probes or radiation to destroy cancerous tissues by overheating them. The goal is to destroy the cancer with the least damage to surrounding normal tissues. This is only available at veterinary referral centers. Not all cancers are susceptible to heat damage. The location of the cancer may make this therapy impossible.
- Diet ‑ Diet has been shown to be helpful in controlling cancer. The goal is a diet with limited simple sugars, moderate amounts of complex sugars such as carbohydrates, highly digestible protein in moderate amounts, and set amounts of certain types of fats. These dietary guidelines tend to “starve” the cancer cells and help the normal cells stay healthy.
- Immunotherapy ‑ Immunotherapy uses immune reactions to fight off the cancer cells. This method may use a nonspecific immune modifier such as interferon, orvaccines specifically tailored to the cancer of the individual. Much of this work is experimental but shows great promise.
Most feline cancers occur in middle-aged and older individuals 10 to 15 years of age. Lymphoma is an exception, occurring most often in young cats. The majority of feline cancers are not visible by outward inspection, except for skin and breasttumors. These neoplasms can be detected by inspection and palpation.
The high cancer rate in cats is felt to be at least partly related to the feline leukemiavirus and the feline immunodeficiency virus. Common sites of involvement are lymph nodes (lymphoma) and circulating blood cells (leukemia), but any organ or tissue in the cat’s body can be affected. Taken together, the feline leukemia virus accounts for perhaps half of all internal cancers, the majority of which are lymphomas. It is also associated with other serious cat diseases, including anemia, feline infectious peritonitis, glomerulonephritis, spinal cord cancers, and toxoplasmosis.
Skin tumors are common in cats. Many skin tumors are not malignant; however, the incidence of skin cancer is still high and accounts for 25 percent of feline cancers. Next in frequency is the breast (17 percent).
Cancer is a condition in which rapid cell division and tissue growth occur at the expense of organ-specific function. For example, a cancer from a cat’s kidney is biopsied and found to be a mass of tissue that bears only slight resemblance to normal kidney cells under the microscope. The mass on the kidney does not function as kidney tissue, nor does it help the kidney to make urine. If the cancer goes untreated, it eventually replaces the kidney while simultaneously metastasizing to other parts of the body. In time, through a number of possible events, it causes the cat’s death.
Cancer is graded or staged according to the degree of malignancy. Low-grade cancers continue to grow locally and reach a large size. They spread to distant organs late in the course of the illness. High-grade cancers spread early, when the primary tumor is still quite small or barely detectable.
Growths of the mouth account for up to 10 percent of feline cancers. Nearly all of them are malignant (squamous cell cancers). Signs include drooling, difficulty eating, and the appearance of a lump or ulcerated growth involving the tongue or gums. A mouth cancer should be distinguished from an infected mass produced by an imbedded foreign body or string cutting into the underside of the tongue.
Some Feline Cancer Facts
- 32 percent of all cats over 10 years of age will die from some type of cancer.
- 25 percent of all feline cancers are skin cancers, with 50 to 65 percent of them being malignant.
- About 25 out of every 100,000 female cats will develop mammary cancer; 17 percent of all feline cancers are mammary related.
- Feline lymphoma will strike 200 out of every 100,000 cats, with cats who are FeLV positive being at 60 percent higher risk.
- 10 percent of all feline tumors are found in the mouth.
- Vaccine-associated sarcomas occur in 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 cats.
Looking at these facts, we see that 52 percent, or just over half of all feline cancers, occur in areas that can be examined-the skin, the mammary glands, and the mouth. Frequent at-home examinations can lead to early cancer detection in many cases.
Diagnosing Cancers
Clearly, one of the first diagnostic steps for any cat suspected of having cancer is to run a combination FeLV and FIV blood test. A cancer associated with an immune-suppressing virus presents special challenges in treatment. A blood panel might show an increase in calcium-which is seen in some cancers. A urinalysis might indicate protein loss. Those are relatively easy tests to do, require no anesthesia, and can be done at most veterinary clinics.
X-rays are often the next step. An X-ray may show changes in bones or the spread of a cancer. Ultrasound is helpful for identifying soft tissue growths. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CAT (computerized axial tomography) scans are imaging techniques that will only be found at large veterinary referral centers.
A fine needle aspirate or biopsy may be done to take a sample of the growth for analysis. This may not only identify a cancer but also give an idea of the stage and prognosis. Once the type of cancer is known, a treatment plan can be developed."
No comments:
Post a Comment