Chemotherapy For Dogs With Lung Cancer

The fda approved the first drug for treating canine cancer in dogs in june 2009.

Chemotherapy for dogs with lung cancer.

The second kind of lung cancer in dogs is called metastatic lung cancer which means the cancer originated somewhere else in the body but has spread to the lung. Right now the main focus for that is in dogs with melanoma and osteo sarcoma intile said. Metastatic lung cancer can be treated with radiation or chemotherapy. Not all people with non small cell lung cancer nsclc will need chemo but depending on the cancer s stage and other factors chemo may be recommended in different situations.

Treating lung cancer in dogs with chemotherapy after a thorough examination and diagnosis of lung cancer has been made a veterinary oncologist may choose to treat the cancer with chemotherapy especially if the cancer has spread or surgery is not an option. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for small cell lung cancer sclc but doctors may also use it before or after surgery or instead of surgery in non small cell lung cancer nsclc. Chemotherapy plays a large role in treating lung cancers in people. Neoadjuvant chemo may be used sometimes with radiation therapy to try to shrink a tumor to remove it with less extensive surgery.

I recommend treatment with a drug called vinorelbine. Dogs often receive lower doses of chemo than humans though some side effects are still experienced. However because the tumors are so rare studies are lacking regarding proving its benefit for dogs and cats. This is a type of vaccine that is used to stimulate your dog s own immune system to attack the cancer.

So if a dog that first got cancer in their mouth for instance or in their bones they risk the chance of it metastasizing through the bloodstream to the lungs. Based on this information there are many theoretical advantages to chemotherapy s use in pets. Chemotherapy has become commonplace. As in humans with cancer chemotherapy is used as a treatment for cancer in dogs.

Adding to your vet s cancer arsenal of surgery radiation and chemotherapy is another option. Radiation therapy is sometimes used for the treatment of lung cancer in dogs depending upon the proximity of the lung tumor to the heart.