Page 6 - Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2021

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Page 6 - Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2021
P. 6

ACT funds new                                    RVC Equine has long been at the

                                                         forefront of furthering equine oncology
        treatment for                                    with use of new chemotherapeutic drugs
                                                         and multi-modal treatment regimes. More
        equine cancers                                   recently, Electro Chemotherapy has
                                                         greatly enhanced the RVCÐÂÔÂÖ±²¥™s ability to
                                                         successfully treat skin cancer in horses.
                                                         The Thermofield unit will add to the
                                                         teamÐÂÔÂÖ±²¥™s growing repertoire of treatment
                                                         options. Apart from its additional anti-
                                                         tumour properties, a main advantage of
                  he ACT has funded                      hyperthermia is that general anaesthesia
           T      pioneering new equipment               is not required, reducing treatment cost
                  for RVC Equine Practice for
                  the treatment of equine skin           and risk to the patient, and enabling
                                                         successive treatments. The team will
        cancers. Skin tumours are very                   also be trialling a combination of the
        common in horses however due to                  treatments outlined here to determine
        their locations surgery is often                 the optimal treatment for equine
        impossible. Injection of                         skin cancers.
        chemotherapeutic agents alone is only
        partially successful as drugs do not
        readily penetrate tumour cells.
        The Thermofield unit offers a pioneering
        treatment option. The application of heat
        to a tumour in combination with local
        chemotherapy increases uptake of drugs
        and improves their effects. The heat also
        activates the patientÐÂÔÂÖ±²¥™s immune system
        and directly damages tumour cells by
        suppressing new vessel growth and
        killing cancer stem-like cells. Treatment
        also decreases pain in the area, making
        the patient more comfortable, and is
        very well tolerated with few side effects.
        This technique can be used alone or in
        combination with surgery on tumours that
        have been reduced in size.





         RVC Equine has


         long been at

         the forefront of


         furthering equine


         oncology













        6 6                                                                            Paws & Hooves Autumn 2021
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