Vet Oncologists providing cancer treatment for dogs, cats and small animals

 Receiving a diagnosis of cancer in a beloved pet can be a difficult and emotional experience.

Our first priority when a pet comes to the Sash New Castle Cancer Centre is to understand the concerns of the people who love them, and to support families through the process of making decisions that are best for their treasured companion and for themselves.

Much can be done to help pets with cancer feel comfortable and happy, and in many cases, long-term control is possible. We believe it is just as important for families to feel empowered about the choices they make as it is to provide the best possible veterinary care for their pet.

Communication with referring veterinarians is another important part of the care plan for patients treated at the Animal Cancer Centre.

This ideally begins before a pet comes to SASH; we encourage referring veterinarians to contact us to discuss diagnostic approaches and treatment options, so that we can work together, from the very beginning, towards the best possible outcomes for patients and their families.

Veterinary Oncology

The term Sash Oncology refers to the branch of science concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It may provide some degree of comfort that the word diagnosis – “to know thoroughly” – is particularly meaningful for cancer. Due to advances in understanding, much more is known about different types of cancer and how to treat them to help pets live their best life. It is also reassuring that the experience of cancer treatment in pets is typically quite different to that of people. Many forms of treatment are tolerated well, with pets experiencing relatively few side effects.

The Sash Dermatology Cancer Centre is Australia’s largest and most experienced centre of excellence for the management and treatment of cancer in pets. We bring together teams of locally and internationally trained specialists in all disciplines of veterinary oncology to provide the most comprehensive, integrated oncology service incorporating:

• Medical oncology – interpretation of diagnostic information and treatment of cancer with medical therapies
• Radiation oncology – treatment of cancer with radiation, and
• Surgical oncology – tumour removal and reconstructive procedures

Importantly, these services do not operate in isolation. To provide the best possible patient care, our specialist teams work closely together, combining their expertise to assess each individual pet’s needs and determine the most appropriate treatment, or combination of treatments. In our state-of-the-art facility, all treatment options can be provided on-site, by our own highly qualified Oncology Specialists and team members. As the SASH Cancer Centre is part of SASH, we can also call on the services of other expert veterinarians and support teams that may be required for a pet’s care. These include specialists in Pathology, veterinary Radiology (Diagnostic Imaging) and Anaesthesia, and 24 hour Critical Care services for patients requiring intensive support.

This complete suite of in-house oncology and complementary services, the first and only of its kind In Australia, is the result of a vision to provide everything that a pet might need for its cancer treatment, in the one supportive and caring environment. We believe that this integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to cancer treatment leads to the best possible outcomes for pets with cancer, and for the families who love them.