The Dog Cancer Survival Guide by Susan Ettinger Demian Dressler

it is typically not an effective treatment.
    Fine Needle Aspirate : This is an initial screening procedure which vets use to test a tumor or other site in the body for malignant cells. A skinny needle is inserted into the site, which draws up a small sample of the cells and fluids inside the tumor. The sample can – in many cases – confirm the presence and type of cancer. Fine needle aspirates cannot be used to grade a cancer, and their results can sometimes be inconclusive. This type of aspirate can also be used to sample lymph nodes, the liver, the spleen, the kidney, or other sites. This procedure typically does not require sedation or anesthesia and is often relatively inexpensive.
    Full Spectrum : This is my phrase to describe an unbiased, results-oriented, strategic approach to cancer care. The goal is to optimize life quality and increase longevity. As a Full Spectrum vet, I consider and treat all aspects of cancer, including diet, lifestyle, and the psychological well-being of both the patient and the guardian. Conventional tools (chemotherapy, surgery and radiation) are part of Full Spectrum cancer care, as are many alternative treatments and others, never previously considered for canine cancer care.
    Gained Life Expectancy : How long do we expect a dog to live if he does not get treatment for his cancer? How long do we expect him to live if he does? The difference between those two numbers is the gained life expectancy of that treatment. For example, if we expect that a dog has two months to live, but with treatment could live six months, the gained life expectancy is four months. Knowing the gained life expectancy can be helpful when making treatment plan choices.
    Genes : Genes are segments of DNA, which carry codes for specific proteins, functions, and cell processes in the living organism. A gene usually contributes to the control of a small segment of what happens in a cell or in a body. Altogether, genes manage every facet of life on the tissue, organ and body level. Genes behave like microscopic cell managers, while making sure that everything happens according to their instructions.
    Grade : How aggressive a cancer is can be predicted by its grade. To grade cancer, a pathologist examines a biopsied tumor under a high power microscope and notes special characteristics of the cancer cells, which can indicate how aggressively they may behave in future. Sometimes, veterinarians and oncologists use words such as “angry” or “hot,” to describe very aggressive tumors. Different grading systems are used for different tumor types, but generally the more aggressive a tumor is the higher is the number assigned. “High grade” tumors are more aggressive and “low grade” tumors are less so.
    Historical Use : This term suggests evaluating treatments by looking at their use over time, rather than using clinical studies. Some drugs, like aspirin (pain relief) and phenobarbital (anti-seizure), were used before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started regulating pharmaceuticals. These drugs, which have strong historical evidence of working in the body, are grandfathered into the system and do not need to go through the lengthy (ten to fifteen years) and extremely expensive (millions of dollars) approval process. Since 1938, new drugs undergo safety and efficacy trials to prove to the FDA that they work for the purpose for which they are intended. Drugs are usually approved for one, fairly narrow use, although their action may be useful in other diseases. Once approved, doctors and veterinarians can prescribe them for their approved purpose, or for any other purpose they judge to be safe and appropriate. A classic example of this is using phenobarbital – grandfather-approved for seizures – as a sedative. This practice, called off-label prescription, is very common, especially in veterinary medicine. Using off-label prescriptions, vets can prescribe a drug approved for humans for use in any other