Equine Cancer Treatments At UC Davis
Cancer can be treated in many ways. At UC Davis, we offer traditional treatments, as well as innovative approaches and clinical trials. Our clinicians and veterinary teams, including internal medicine specialists, oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, and other experts across a variety of departments, work closely with clients to determine individualized treatment plans with a focus on optimal quality of life and successful outcomes for each patient.
Individualized therapeutic plans may include:
- Surgery - Surgical excision may be required for biopsies or tumor removal, depending on the size and location of the mass.
- Chemotherapy - Systemic chemotherapy, in which drugs are administered intravenously, used to be very rare in horses due to the cost of the medications, but it is now available at some clinics, including UC Davis. Local chemotherapy, in which the chemotherapeutic drugs are injected at the tumor site, is frequently used for specific tumors.
- Immunotherapy - Drugs that use substances to activate or suppress the immune system to treat cancer are available for ocular tumors.
- Radiation therapy - Some tumors are very sensitive to radiation, but the location of the tumor may affect the feasibility of this treatment method.
Treatments may be used in combinations to achieve optimal outcomes in individual cases.
Recognizing Signs of Cancer in Horses
Early diagnosis is important to cancer treatment. Daily grooming is a good time to check horses for new lumps and bumps or changes to existing masses. Other signs of cancer in horses may include:
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Changes to the hair coat
- Hair loss
The prognosis for horses diagnosed with cancer varies based on the type, location, and stage of the tumor, but many can be successfully managed.
Contact the UC Davis Large Animal Clinic at (530) 752-0290 for more information or to make an appointment.