Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is effective for improving survival in many tumours for which surgery or radiation therapy are not appropriate. These include a large number of cancers found in both dogs and cats, including lymphoma, haemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, mast cell tumours, multiple myeloma and some cases of melanoma and transitional cell carcinoma.

Your vet can refer you for chemotherapy either as an integrated treatment with surgery and radiation therapy, or as a standalone treatment, depending on which approach will provide the best anticipated outcome.

In addition to the ability to provide chemotherapy, a comprehensive and accurate haematology capability is also required to monitor patients under treatment. The Centre houses an Idexx LaserCyte® haematology unit which provides full five part differential results within minutes. This technology is the same as that found in dedicated laboratories which service the veterinary industry in Melbourne and greater Victoria. This not only provides accurate results critical to safe administration of chemotherapy, but also significantly shortens hospitalisation times and treatment sessions for your pet. In the unlikely event of a chemotherapy complication, this technology allows close monitoring of patients during recovery.

Even for conditions for which surgery and radiotherapy are not indicated, chemotherapy alone is providing increasingly improved outcomes in both dogs and cats.