New Developments in Canine Cancer Treatment

Canine cancer treatment is a difficult topic but, if your dog is suffering, you need to be aware of vital information. Canines can suffer from many types of cancer, and one in every four dogs dies from cancer. Some of the most common types of dog cancer are bone, skin and oral cancers, depending on the breed, and the best treatment depends on types of dogs and types of cancer.

Drug Treatment for Canine Cancer

One of the newest forms of drug treatment is Palladia (toceranib phosphate). This is the first cancer drug treatment for canines that has been FDA approved. Palladia is used to treat mast cell tumors (MCT) in canines. MCT is the second most common type of canine cancer and presents itself as lumps or tumors in the skin.

Palladia is specifically for canine cancers and has been shown to be successful in treating MCT that is passe the first stage. Surgery has been traditionally used to remove such tumors. Use of the drug Palladia is the less invasive option. Palladia is expected to be available for more widespread use in 2010.

PET Scans to Diagnose for Best Treatment

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans have been used in humans for awhile but it's a fairly new development that PET scans are use as a means to diagnose canine cancer. Most typically used in the diagnosis of canine bone cancer, this technology has been shown to be successful in identifying cancerous cells.

PET scans use a radioactive dye, which is injected into the dog and then ‘lights up' the brain's anatomy to help identify where cancer cells are. This allows the surgeon to clearly identify the areas that need to be treated. Treatment can then be administered; often chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells.

Holistic Healing

One of the most popular new developments in treating canine cancers is to include holistic healing methods. For instance, administering supplements of the coenzyme Q10 as part of the healing process has shown to be effective.

Coenzyme Q10 is used as part of an all-around treatment, which also includes a good cancer-fighting diet. Coenzyme Q10 can help to protect the heart and stimulate the immune system which is vital in canines that are fighting any type of cancer. This can be used as a standalone treatment or in conjunction with other, more aggressive forms of treatment.

Preventing Canine Cancer

One of the best preventative treatments of canine cancer is to include water soluble forms of the supplement Artemisinin. Using this, in combination with a good healthy diet, has been proven to cause extensive damage to cancer cells while preserving normal cells.

Of course, there are still the typical ways of treating cancer and Artemisinin can be used alongside these methods. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are the most commonly used methods to treat canine cancer, much the same as humans.

 

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