Radiation therapy is one of the three main treatment options for various types of cancer, the other two being surgery and then chemotherapy. Radiation is offered at two centres locally, Seattle and Pullman, which are both in Washington State. Radiation works mainly by damaging the DNA of tumor cells but unfortunately it does also damage normal tissue as well. Therefore side effects can occur, particularly if the animal’s eyes, ears or nose are in the radiation field. Ideally, any owner considering radiation therapy for their pet should have a consultation with a radiation therapist. See the links below for additional information
Further Resources
- Veterinary Radiation Therapy. Regional Veterinary Referral Center, Springfield, VA.
- Radiation Therapy: Improving the Cancer Patient’s Quality of Life. Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado.
- Radiation Therapy: An Overview of the Goals and Side Effects of Treatment. Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado.
- Cancer and Pets. A Pet Health Topic from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University.
- Radiation therapy. A Pet Health Topic from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University.
- Radiation Therapy. REQUIRES LOGIN; FOR VETERINARIANS LJ Forrest. In Braund’s Clinical Neurology in Small Animals: Localization, Diagnosis and Treatment. C.H. Vite (ed).
- Primary irradiation of canine intracranial masses. Spugnini EP, Thrall DE, Price GS, Sharp NJ, Munana K, Page RL. Vet Radiol Ultrasound. 2000 Jul-Aug;41(4):377-80.
- Radiation Therapy, RadiologyInfo, American College of Radiology (geared to human patients).