Ahead of Their Time

Though brain tumors in dogs are not extremely common, numbering approximately 14 per 100,000 dogs, when it is your dog, it is one too many. Treating brain tumors, like other cancers in the body, can be fraught with complications. The goal of tumor therapy is to destroy the tumor and at the same time, spar the surrounding tissue. Thanks to a cooperative effort between the veterinary school at Washington State University and the medical college at the University of Washington, several new methods for cancer care have been devised.

Brain tumors in dogs are not extremely common.

The doctors involved in this team are anesthesiologists, surgeons, internists, and radiologists, from both the veterinary and human medical institutions. The techniques that are presently being offered to dogs are not yet available for human patients. In the long run, both will benefit. It is not uncommon for applied research to aid one species before the full scope of its effect is realized.

The two techniques that are presently being investigated are Radiosurgery and IMR. Radiosurgery is a means of directing a precise beam of radiation at a tumor that may measure no more than one centimeter in diameter. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, IMR, is used for larger brain and spinal cord tumors. It is a combination of linear accelerator and high-energy radiation.

Radiosurgery and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy are being used to treat tumors of the dog’s nervous system

If your pet has a brain tumor and could benefit from these advances, count yourself fortunate to have such life saving methods available. However you must be prepared for the investment in your pets’ health. The cost for these treatments, travel and lodging can easily top $3,000, but sometimes it can be difficult to place a price tag on love.