In this lecture we will discuss that the fundamentals of veterinary oncology are the fundamentals of being a good vet!  Starting with a solid history, clinical examination, listening to owners’ questions and helping them to understand the disease process you will find that clients will be incredibly appreciative, and making an effort with these “basics” will help bond them to your practice.  While advanced imaging techniques (for example CT scans, lymphangiography and image-guided biopsies) are undoubtedly very useful, you will also find that careful radiography, use of fine needle aspiration and surgical biopsies may give you the information you need in a surprising number of situations.  Rather than offering either a “gold standard” approach or nothing, there is nothing wrong with tailoring the investigations to their pet’s particular situation (providing the client understands the different options available!).  In this lecture I will discuss examples of how I approached common cancers during my 10 years in first-opinion practice.    

Key Learning Objectives

• Understand that the most important step in managing a cancer case is educating and communicating with the owner!
• Describe what benefit advanced imaging / referral-level staging will bring over staging tests in-house for common cancers.
• Outline factors of high and low prognostic significance in common small animal cancers.