How does the RVC feline oncology team communicate with referring vets?

We are available for advice requests over phone and email. If the referring vet identifies a more urgent case and requires advise straight away it would be best to get in touch with us directly and ask our reception staff to put you through to an oncologist. There will be occasions where we cannot come to the phone immediately and it would be best to ask reception to leave a message with us, so we can make sure to return your call as soon as possible. As for referral requests we try and process those as quickly as possible. We will require the pets’ full history and any test results in order to assure the best possible care for our mutual patient and client. Following referral we will inform you about all tests undertaken and their results in writing and will also keep you in the loop about ongoing management. We also strive to involve you in our patients’ management; this may involve administration of chemotherapy treatments, physical examinations and blood tests. We will always inform you about this in advance either in writing or over the phone.

What facilities/services can you provide?

• Medical Oncology
• Chemotherapy and supportive care
• Clinical stage determination
• Electrochemotherapy
• Discussion of palliative care options
• Diagnostic imaging
• Radiographs
• Ultrasonography
• MRI
• CT
• Clinical Pathology and Pathology Services
• Surgery – provided by the soft tissue or orthopaedic team dependent on the case

One of the most complex surgeries in cats is the surgical treatment for feline injection-site sarcomas. These require appropriate staging and surgical planning via CT to determine the macroscopic margins of the tumour (often extend greatly into deeper tissues that cannot be appreciated upon palpation) and thereby surgical dose. Expertise and experienced surgeons under oncological guidance are of utmost importance. In some cases chemotherapy is administered in a neo-adjuvant setting to make patients better surgical candidates.

What non-surgical feline cancer treatments can you provide?

• Lymphoma
• CHOP protocol
• High dose COP protocol
• Various rescue protocol options
• Cytarabine infusions for bone marrow / CNS / renal involvement

What surgical feline cancer treatments can you provide?

These will be dependent on lymphoma type

• Mast cell tumour
• Various classic chemotherapy options
• Toceranib phosphate
• Masitinib
• Imatinib
• Feline Sarcomas and carcinoma treatments
  Various chemotherapy options (intravenous as well as intracavitary if required – placement of a pleural or abdominal port may be necessary)
• Feline Mesothelioma treatments
  Various chemotherapy options (intravenous as well as intracavitary if required – placement of a pleural or abdominal port may be necessary)
• Treatment of scar tissue (following incomplete excision of tumours such as mast cell tumours, soft tissue sarcomas, etc.)
  Electrochemotherapy
• Feline Squamous cell carcinomas (nose, pinna, oral) treatments
  Electrochemotherapy

Discussion of radiotherapy options

Our senior clinicians have worked in centres offering radiotherapy and are therefore experienced to discuss valid options and arising side effects.

How do I organise a feline oncology referral appointment?

Upon referral of your patient to the RVC, please provide us with all necessary patient information (complete history, blood test results, cytologies, histopathology if relevant) to correctly determine the urgency of the case. Our reception staff will contact the client directly to organize for an appropriate appointment slot suiting both the client as well as our oncology team.

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