PetCure Oncology at Care Center Highlights Pet Heroes for National Pet Cancer Awareness Month

When Mack Hussey and his family adopted their dog, Bindi, they had no idea that a small bump on her nose would quickly grow into a life-threatening cancer.

Fortunately, as the Hussey family learned, the conversation surrounding cancer care for pets is changing for the better – and fast.

Bindi’s growing bump was eventually diagnosed as a mast cell tumor, a common form of skin cancer in dogs. But, despite a bleak prognosis, she experienced a remarkable turnaround. After undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment in August with the PetCure Oncology team at Care Center, Bindi was given the best news of all at her three-month check-up in early November. Her cancer appeared to be in remission with no evidence of tumor seen on her follow-up CT scan.

For the Hussey family, SRS provided a refreshing new choice that was very different from the usual – and often discouraging – cancer treatment options. Though it is new to veterinary medicine, SRS is widely used in human cancer treatment as an advanced form of radiation therapy that delivers high doses of radiation with sub-millimeter precision in a non-invasive, non-surgical manner. SRS is delivered with the intent to cure, optimizing damage to cancerous tissue while minimizing collateral damage to nearby healthy tissue. As a result, SRS requires only 1-3 treatment sessions – an 80-95% reduction compared to conventional radiation therapy – and significantly reduces both the severity and duration of side effects.

“I love her so much,” said Hussey. “When they told me about the curative intent of SRS, I knew this was the answer for Bindi.” Now, Bindi is officially a PetCure Pet Hero.

The Husseys first visited their primary care veterinarian, who conducted a biopsy that revealed the mast cell tumor and referred Bindi to the specialists at Care Center. Surgery was ruled out as an option based on the tumor location and traditional radiation therapy was considered too risky in this particular case. But just three days after SRS, the bump on Bindi’s nose had substantially decreased in size. It continued to shrink over time, leading to the happy finding of remission at her three-month follow-up appointment earlier this month.

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time to cheer those currently battling cancer, pay tribute to those who have passed on, and celebrate those who have survived. This year, it is also a perfect opportunity to spread the word about SRS, a potentially life-saving treatment option that is being introduced to veterinary medicine for the first time.

PetCure Oncology is revolutionizing cancer care for pets by partnering with established veterinary specialty practices and establishing a national network of centers that specialize in the delivery of advanced radiation therapy and SRS. PetCure Oncology centers in Clifton, NJ, Houston, TX, Jacksonville, FL, Milwaukee, WI, Phoenix, AZ, Pittsburgh, PA, Robbinsville, NJ and San Jose, CA  are now open. Locations in Wisconsin and Illinois are slated to open in the next few months, with many more centers in various stages of development across the country. To learn more or obtain a referral to PetCure Oncology at Care Center, call 833-738-4376 or visit PetCureOncology.com.