PetCure Oncology Treats Endangered Jaguar For Cancer in Phoenix
Jaguar at the Phoenix Zoo Receives Cutting-Edge Liquid Fiducial Cancer Treatment
PHOENIX, Ariz., Dec. 11, 2017 – PetCure Oncology announced the treatment of Caipora (ky-POUR-uh), a 12-year-old female jaguar at the Phoenix Zoo. The combination cancer treatment utilized liquid fiducial tissue marker, PetXmark™, and stereotactic radiation (SRS/SRT), to shrink the tumor located on the big cat’s leg.
The advanced radiation treatment was administered under the collaboration of a team of experts at PetCure Oncology at Arizona Veterinary Oncology in Gilbert, Arizona, and veterinary staff and keepers from the Phoenix Zoo. The use of PetXmark provided the opportunity to treat Caipora with SRS/SRT in a single session, rather than the 19–21 treatment sessions typically recommended following surgery to remove a tumor.
“Caipora’s tumor was similar to that of a common house cat. Using the proprietary liquid fiducial system, we were able to accurately target the tumor bed for microscopic cancer that remained after surgery,” said PetCure Oncology radiation oncologist and Phoenix Zoo Animal Health Advisory Committee member, Dr. Eric Boshoven. “This treatment allows maximal radiation dose to the tumor with minimal dose to the normal tissues.”
Historically, SRS/SRT has not been an available option for animals with post-surgical tumors of the skin and subcutaneous tissue due to lack of appropriate treatment precision.
“We are we are incredibly pleased with Caipora’s treatment,” says Dr. Gary West, the zoo’s executive vice president of animal health and collections. “The Zoo’s veterinary staff is grateful to be able to collaborate with other veterinary specialists to provide the highest level of medical care for the zoo’s animals.”
Caipora, whose name means Goddess of the Wilderness, first arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in 2008, originally relocating from the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park. Over the years, she has become a guest favorite and beloved by animal care staff. The Phoenix Zoo continues to monitor the treatment area over time, and closely watches her behavior and quality of life.
The U.S. has listed jaguars as endangered since 1997. They once ranged from southern South America through Central America and Mexico and into the southern United States. By the late 1900s, jaguars were thought to be gone from the U.S. landscape, but two independent sightings in 1996 confirmed that jaguars still used Arizona and New Mexico as part of the northern-most extent of their range.
The species has been protected outside of the United States under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 1972. That protection was extended to jaguars within the U.S. in 1997, the year after their presence in the Arizona and New Mexico borderlands was confirmed. A sighting of the elusive jaguar was reported as recently as 2016 in the Dos Cabezas Mountains of Arizona about 60 miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border.
More information on Caipora’s SRS/SRT treatment can be found at PetCureOncology.com.
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PetCure Oncology Media Contact: Jack Moore | Chief Marketing Officer | PetCure Oncology | 847.420.5594 | JMoore@PetCureOncology.com
Phoenix Zoo Media Contact: Linda Hardwick | Director of Communications | Phoenix Zoo | 602.663.3254 | lhardwick@phoenixzoo.org
About PetCure Oncology
PetCure Oncology is the national leader in radiation oncology for pets and the leading provider of stereotactic radiation (SRS/SRT) for pets in terms of both treatment centers and patients treated. With eight current locations, PetCure has treated more than 1,200 pet patients with radiation therapy since opening its first center in May 2015. To learn more about PetCure Oncology or SRS/SRT, visit PetCureOncology.com or call (773) 850-3400.
About the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo
The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation operates the Phoenix Zoo and the South Mountain Environmental Education Center. The ACNC advances the stewardship and conservation of animals and their habitats while providing experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world.
The Phoenix Zoo is the only zoo in the Valley accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a non-profit zoological park, serving 1.3 million guests annually. The Zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals, many of which are endangered and threatened species. For information on upcoming events, exhibits, and activities at the Phoenix Zoo, visit phoenixzoo.org.