Approach to Cancer in Companion Animals Flashcards
when does the risk of cancer peak in dogs and cats?
dogs: 7-12 years
cats: 8-14 years
what are the types of cancer treatment?
chemotherapy
targeted therapies
immunotherapy
radiation therapy
surgery
what is the critical first step in finding out an animal has cancer?
tumor diagnosis: oncologists require for referral
what information can aspiration cytology give?
no grade
maybe broad tumor type
can be non-diagnostic
what techniques can you use for aspiration with the needle off?
capillary core
fenestration technique
how should you review slides for diagnostic quality before submitting?
can only evaluate intact cells
cytoplasm must be complete and surround entire cell
what is cytology excellent for diagnosing?
round cell tumors
how are round cell tumors classified?
behavior for cytology
what does sarcoma mean?
mesenchymal tissue origin
favor hematogenous spread to lungs
spindle cell appearance
what does carcinoma mean?
epithelial cell origin
tightly adherent cells
favor spread to lymph nodes
what is useful about a tissue biopsy?
more likely to achieve a definitive diagnosis
what is grading based on?
histomorphology
what is mitotic count?
number of mitotic figures seen in 10 sequential fields
sometimes referred to as mitotic index
what leads to margin shrinkage?
in vivo: skin contraction
ex vivo: formalin
why is TNM (tumor, node, metastases) not really used in veterinary medicine?
animal cancers progress rapidly
what should you have in your medical record about a tumor?
tumor location
tumor size
tumor characteristics
what is CT scan used for?
complex structures such as head or neck
better resolution: find smaller metastases
critical for radiation planning