Pet week is rapidly approaching, and it is appropriate that we reflect on ways to promote the best possible health for our companion animals, who mean so much to us. This update focuses on cancer and our efforts to improve the quality of life for our pets. Cats, like humans, are susceptible to a wide range of cancer inducers, including solar radiation, chronic inflammations, viruses and chemicals. The incidence of cancer in dogs is also affected by environmental factors, but these are often masked by stronger genetic predispositions. Genetic factors explain why certain breeds of dogs are much more prone to cancer than other breeds, and why certain types of cancer, while rare in one breed, are common in another.
Cancer can be one of the most emotionally charged of all diseases afflicting humans and animals.
It appears unexpectedly, and the clinical course is often long and difficult. It is a disease where miracles occur from time to time, giving people reason to fight and persist against all odds. While cancer is usually perceived in a highly negative manner, it is also the disease that engenders the greatest positive response. More contributions are made by pet owners whose animals have died of cancer than from any other disease, and many kind letters of appreciation are written to attending veterinarians who have treated, often unsuccessfully, pets with cancer. Given the great importance of cancer in animals, and the roots of the Center for Companion Animal Health, which began as a comparative cancer research unit, it is logical that cancer prevention, treatment, diagnosis and causation should be major targets of study.