Animal Cancer Update - Haemangiosarcoma

Haemangiosarcoma is a cancer that forms from blood vessels. It most commonly forms in the skin, or internal organs such as the spleen or heart. In both dogs and cats, the internal form is very serious. Without treatment, most patients have a life span of days to weeks. The skin form can be aggressive in some cases, and the laboratory results following surgical removal or biopsy will determine this. There are 3 successful forms of treatment available at present to fight this disease. The first is surgery. If possible, all visible disease needs to be removed. If this involves removal of a benign (or unable to spread) skin haemangiosarcoma, then surgery alone can be curative. For all other forms in dogs and cats, tumour spread elsewhere is expected to have occurred even though it usually will not be visible or detectable immediately.

The other 2 forms of treatment involve the use of medications. Medical treatment is available that results in significantly longer periods of normal quality of life following surgery. Whilst not every patient responds, most experience a good 6 to 12 months or longer, with a 10% chance of cure. The treatment is given in such a way that side effects are uncommon. Treatments are generally given from every 3 weeks to every week for up to 15 treatments. Costs can be high, with medical cancer therapy treatments costing from several hundred dollars per treatment.

Alternatively, there is treatment available that can prevent blood vessel growth leading to a halting of tumour growth overall. Treatments aimed at preventing blood vessel growth are given at home, and require visits as often as fortnightly initially, but less often later. Treatment costs are much lower.  Ideal therapy at present uses both treatments.