Basic therapeutic procedures in oncology of dogs and cats

Speedy and reliable diagnostics of a malignant disease is of great importance as it enables the veterinarian to begin administering therapy and to provide the corresponding prognosis. Once the diagnosis is made, the necessary therapeutic procedure is administered. Depending on the form and type of malignant process, the following therapeutic measures can be applied: surgical therapy, radiotherapy (radiation therapy), chemotherapy, immuno therapy, molecular-gene targetted therapy, electrochemotherapy and electrogenic therapy, cryo therapy - cryo surgery, hyperthermia, photodynamic therapy, and supportive therapy. It is quite frequent that two or more therapeutic methods are used in the treatment of malignant diseases in dogs and cats. Each of these methods has its advantages and faults in connection with costs, availability, sensitivity, specificity, and quality. Every one of them has its area of implementation and yields different information depending on the nature and position of the primary lesion, the presence of metastases, as well as possible complications that are frequent in oncology patients.