Extraordinary New Cancer Treatment for Pets Coming to Western Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, PA – November 29, 2016 – Pet owners in and around Western Pennsylvania are just months away from the introduction of a new cancer treatment called stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to the market. The advancement will put them among only a handful of pet owners in the country with access to progressive cancer care for pets in line with what is already available for people.

A significant upgrade in the world of veterinary oncology, SRS is coming to Pittsburgh thanks to a partnership between national cancer care provider PetCure Oncology and local specialty hospital Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center (PVSEC). The upgrade to PVSEC’s radiation oncology department is expected to be complete and operational by late January, offering pet owners in Western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas unprecedented access to potentially life-saving radiation therapy. The radiation oncology department will continue to be run by Dr. Christine Anderson, a double-board certified specialist in both radiation and medical oncology.

“The availability of SRS for pets with cancer is a significant advancement for both veterinarians and pet owners,” said Dr. Anthony Pardo, a board-certified surgeon and one of the founding partners of PVSEC. “We are extremely fortunate to be one of the few places in the country that will be able to provide this service to pet owners. We pride ourselves in a commitment to patient care innovation, and this upgrade to our radiation oncology department is exactly that.”

While SRS has been a standard of care in human oncology for decades, it has only recently become available for pets. PetCure Oncology was formed in 2014 to integrate progressive cancer treatments like SRS into veterinary medicine. PetCure provides expertise in radiation oncology to supplement the specialty care already provided by partner sites like PVSEC. Together, they offer comprehensive cancer care that includes SRS – an advanced form of radiation therapy that was previously unavailable to animals.

The power of SRS is rooted in its ability to deliver high-dose radiation to a tumor with unprecedented precision, primarily sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Leading to increased effectiveness and efficiency, the benefits of SRS over conventional radiation therapy are both numerous and significant:

 

• In certain cases, SRS can be delivered with the intent to cure cancer rather than merely ease its symptoms
• SRS is a noninvasive treatment that requires no incisions or sutures
• An entire treatment course is delivered in just 1-to-3 sessions, an 80-95% decrease in both treatment sessions and anesthetic events compared to conventional radiation therapy
• Since healthy parts of the anatomy are mostly spared, pets typically experience immediate improvement to quality of life and few side effects
• Many tumors previously considered “untreatable” can now be safely targeted, enabling treatment of tumors in sensitive areas of the body such as the brain, spinal column, lungs or prostate

 

“Cancer is the leading cause of death in older dogs and cats,” said PetCure Oncology CEO, Scott Milligan. “A diagnosis of cancer in your pet can be devastating, but it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. Pet owners in this region will quickly realize that SRS is a game-changing treatment option, in large part because it is noninvasive and has great impact on quality of life.”

PetCure Oncology is the leading provider of SRS for pets in terms of both treatment centers and patients treated. With locations in Phoenix (AZ), Milwaukee (WI) and Clifton (NJ), Petcure has treated more than 500 pet patients with radiation therapy since opening its first center in May of 2015. The new site in Pittsburgh is one of a handful slated to join the national network in 2017. To learn more about PetCure Oncology or SRS, visit PetCureOncology.com or call (773) 850-3400.

PVSEC, the leading specialty animal hospital in Western Pennsylvania, has been providing exceptional 24/7 specialty and emergency care for more than two decades. Above and beyond providing great care, the progressive veterinary provider is a leader in patient care innovation, community education and client service. With 15 clinical areas of expertise – including radiation oncology, medical oncology, neurology, surgery and internal medicine – PVSEC is the most comprehensive multi-specialty veterinary center in the region. PVSEC will now become the first veterinary practice within 250 miles that offers comprehensive cancer care with SRS.

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