Cedar's
recent troubles got me thinking about the differences in cancer therapy for pets and people. I've
mentioned before that cancer therapy is better tolerated by dogs and cats than people. They don't seem to have the debilitating side effects suffered by humans. Cedar's vet up in Wyoming told Mike and Ellie the same thing and I would imagine that the veterinary oncologist in Albuquerque will reiterate that point. So let's examine that a little more closely.
The reason this needs elaboration is that pet owners often make decisions on cancer therapy based on their experiences with human family members or friends that have undergone this ordeal. They know all too well the nausea, fatigue and hair loss that can be associated with cancer therapy in people.
The underlying reason for this discrepancy is that the goal of something like chemotherapy in pets is different than the goal of cancer therapy in people. In people, we are trying to pull off a cure or total remission of the disease. To do that we are willing to try almost anything. This can include mixing as many as ten different chemotherapy drugs in a very potent cocktail. Human oncologists may combine this with radiation therapy and other drugs that may have side serious effects.
In dogs, the goal is somewhat different. Most dogs that are diagnosed with cancer are like Cedar. They have already lived a long and, hopefully, healthy life. Their diagnosis often comes late in life and may be very advanced compared to their human counterparts. I'm not saying this is the case with Cedar. Hopefully his problem is not that advanced but we don't know that, yet.
Given this set of circumstances, the goal with pets is not necessarily a total cure. More often than not the goal is to extend the pet's healthy life by a significant margin. In many cases this can be a little as six months and as much as two or more years. I know that Ellie and Mike would love to have another quality year with Cedar, if it comes to that. After all, another year to a dog like Cedar is equivalent to several years to a human.
Since the goal is often not a total cure,
chemotherapy in pets tends to be milder. Veterinarians may use only two or three drugs in a chemo cocktail. As such there are far fewer side effects in dogs. Most pet owners with dogs on chemo don't notice any side effects. The results can be very satisfying for both pet and person.
If your dog is diagnosed with some form of cancer don't automatically hit the panic button. I know that's easier to say given the natural fear we all have of this disease. I tend to think that every ache and pain I get lasting more than a day or two is the dreaded C word.
Your dog or cat's cancer may be totally treatable with surgery, chemo, radiation or some combination of the three. Even if it's not, we may be able to keep them around for a while longer in a pain free relatively healthy state.
It's certainly worth talking over with your veterinarian.