Oncology

• Comprehensive Examination – A physical examination remains the fundamental tool in patient assessment. As treatment progresses, serial comprehensive examinations allow the oncology team to track treatment progress.
• Molecular Diagnostics – Diagnostics such as flow cytometry, PARR, and immunohistochemistry helps us to diagnose certain types of cancer.
• Digital Radiography – Unlike traditional x-rays, digital radiography provides highly detailed images that can be modified or enhanced. The exceptional resolution of digital radiographs provides much greater ability to identify disease.
• Diagnostic Ultrasound – Ultrasound is a technique where sound waves are used to image soft tissues of the body. Ultrasound allows us to see inside a solid organ, distinguishing changes within the tissue. The ability to distinguish changes inside a solid tissue organ (e.g., the liver), along with the ability to guide a needle into an abnormal area, enables tissue samples to be obtained. 
• Endoscopy – Endoscopy is a procedure where a small camera is placed inside body cavities to observe tissues to identify disease. Biopsies taken during endoscopic exam help to diagnose cancer. Areas where endoscopy is used include the nasal cavity, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, thoracic cavity, and abdomen. Endoscopic examinations are minimally invasive and are frequently performed on an outpatient basis through our internal medicine service.
• CT Scans – CT allows us to better diagnose and treat cancers in the brain, spinal cord, spine, abdomen, chest, and pelvis than ordinary x-ray. CT scans are much more sensitive in identifying cancer or spread of cancer to the lungs or other tissues. 
• MRI – MRI is a safe and non-invasive imaging technique that enables cancers to be diagnosed accurately and rapidly. MRI provides excellent detail for pre-operative planning for surgical excision of tumors. 
• Histopathology – Histopathology is a technique where tissue biopsies are stained, sectioned, and viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to describe disease. Biopsy with histopathology is the method of diagnosing and differentiating cancers from other diseases.
• Bone Marrow Aspirate/Biopsy – Bone marrow aspirate is performed by placing a needle into a bone to extract marrow. This is done to diagnose various types of bone marrow cancer. Extracted bone marrow is stained and viewed by a pathologist allowing description of the specific type of bone marrow cancer. 

Chemotherapy is drug therapy designed to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. Many of the drugs used to treat cancer in pets are derived from natural substances found in plants, trees, or bacteria and are often the same drugs used in people. Chemotherapy is frequently used to treat cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, to treat cancer that cannot be treated with surgery or radiation therapy alone, or when it may enhance the effectiveness of other treatments.

The word chemotherapy often brings to mind images of patients sick in the hospital from side effects. For veterinary oncology, the goal of chemotherapy is very different in that it is designed to control or eliminate the cancer while still providing a high quality of life for your pet. Chemotherapy drugs are not ordinarily used to cure cancer, but rather to control it and to slow down the progression of the disease. Many chemotherapy protocols involve a series of treatments, followed by a period of careful monitoring.

A bio-hazard containment hood and personal protective apparel is used to prepare chemotherapy drugs for use at IndyVet. Patients are administered chemotherapy medication in a separate room to assure that no accidental exposure occurs to other IndyVet patients or personnel.

Targeted therapy is a form of cancer treatment that acts selectively against molecular targets expressed on the surface of cancer cells. Targeted therapy drugs interfere with tumor growth and progression. Targeted therapy is different from chemotherapy in that targeted therapy affects specific cancer cells, while traditional chemotherapy affects any rapidly dividing cell population in the body. An example of targeted therapy used in veterinary medicine is Palladia®.

Immunotherapy is a medical treatment that induces, enhances, or suppresses an immune response. The goal of immunotherapy in cancer treatment is to stimulate the patient’s immune system to reject and destroy tumor cells. An example is the Oncept® vaccine used to treat melanoma. Options for immunotherapy in veterinary oncology are currently very limited, but there is ongoing research that is very promising.

Palliative care is focused on improving quality of life and providing comfort. Palliative and supportive care may include pain management and nutritional support.