Electrochemotherapy for Pet Cancer
Are you familiar with electrochemotherapy for pet cancer? A cancer diagnosis forces a pet owner to face a host of decisions about treatment and care. At Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, we use the latest in oncology technology (as well as wholistic integrative co-therapies) to ensure that you and your family have every option available to you.
It’s a scary time full of uncertainty, but we want to make it a little easier. We offer leading-edge treatment options for different kinds of pet cancer. One of our treatment options is electrochemotherapy, which is an alternative to traditional chemotherapy. Electrochemotherapy for pet cancer offers many benefits for a variety of patients.
What Is Electrochemotherapy?
Electrochemotherapy uses specially targeted electric pulses to deliver chemotherapy drugs into cancer cells. The pulses temporarily change the structure of the cancer cell membrane to allow the chemotherapy to reach its destination. Electrochemotherapy has been shown to make chemotherapy a thousand times more absorbable than with the more standard IV delivery. It can be used with any kind of chemotherapy drug.
When Is Electrochemotherapy Used?
Electrochemotherapy is not an effective treatment for every kind of tumor, but certain cancers respond well to the treatment. These include:
- Melanoma
- Sarcomas (including squamous cell, soft tissue, and feline injection site)
- Certain lymphomas in cats and dogs
- Plasmacytic tumors
- Mast cell tumors (intermediate grade and below)
- Perianal and rectal tumors
- Certain internal tumors
- Other kinds of tumors
Sometimes, surgery cannot remove the whole tumor, which puts the patient at risk for future cancer-related issues. Electrochemotherapy can help get radiation drugs to the cancer cells to prevent regrowth. Talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s type of cancer to see if electrochemotherapy is a viable option for you.
