Despite COVID-19, PetCure Oncology Network Expands Into Houston
Sugar Land, TX – May 5, 2020 – COVID-19 has presented countless barriers to people and businesses around the world over the past few months, but it will not stop pets in the Houston area from gaining access to life-changing cancer care.
PetCure Oncology and Sugar Land Veterinary Specialists (SLVS) announced on Tuesday that a new radiation oncology service will begin seeing pet patients with cancer on Monday, May 11, 2020. The service will be led by Dr. Cassie Wilcox, a board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in treating pet cancer with advanced radiation therapy.
“We’re grateful that COVID has not prevented PetCure and SLVS from making this new service available to pet families in the Houston area,” said Scott Milligan, CEO of PetCure Oncology. “Given that the service was ready to open, we felt it was in the best interest of the community to be accessible to pet patients. Access to the latest forms of radiation therapy can be a life or death proposition for many pets with cancer. We also have telehealth services in place to minimize in-person contact between pet families, our employees, and vets for as long as necessary.”
PetCure Oncology has been providing various forms of teleconsultation since 2018 to increase access to advanced radiation therapy. Since March, telehealth options have been expanded to support the families of pets with cancer while avoiding in-person contact until it becomes necessary for treatment.
With the arrival of Dr. Wilcox and the radiation oncology team to Houston, families of pets with cancer will have accecess to comprehensive cancer care at SLVS, a multi-specialty center with 24/7 emergency services. Dr. Wilcox joins a team of SLVS veterinary specialists that includes well-regarded medical oncologist Dr. Andrew Novosad as well as board-certified specialists in surgery, neurology, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, and 24/7 emergency services.
The new radiation oncology service at SLVS is supported by the PetCure Oncology national network, which includes seven radiation therapy treatment centers and eight board-certified veterinary radiation oncologists. The network has treated more than 3,600 pets with radiation therapy since 2015, becoming an industry leader in both the treatment and clinical research related to advanced radiation therapy for pets.
PetCure-affiliated centers are best known for their expertise in stereotactic radiation (SRS/SRT), a proven treatment option for human oncology patients that has become increasingly common in the treatment of pets with cancer. PetCure Oncology is committed to increasing access to SRS/SRT for pet owners, facilitating innovative clinical trials, and sharing research results aimed at improving survival times and quality of life for pets with cancer.
In October of 2019, PetCure Chief Medical Officer Dr. Neal Mauldin, a triple board-certified veterinary specialist, presented preliminary outcomes data at the Veterinary Cancer Society Annual Conference. The interim analysis suggested that SRS/SRT delivered based on treatment protocols developed by PetCure’s Scientific Advisory Board is leading to better survival outcomes than other treatment options for at least nine specific tumor types. The list includes some of the most common types of pet cancer, most notably brain tumors, nasal tumors, osteosarcoma, mast cell tumors and melanoma.
About PetCure Oncology: PetCure Oncology LLC is a marketing and management services company affiliated with PetCure Radiation Oncology Specialists (PROS), a veterinary healthcare provider with eight board-certified radiation oncologists that have treated more than 3,600 pets with cancer since 2015. Supporting seven treatment centers across the country, PetCure also facilitates innovative telehealth services for both veterinarians and pet owners. For more information, contact a PetCure Pet Advocate at 833-738-4376.
Media Contact: Ben Chiswick | Director, Marketing Operations | PetCure Oncology | 847.528.2792 | BChiswick@PetCureOncology.com