How to provide the best nursing care for patients with cancer 

Tumors are quite frequent in companion animals, with malignant forms representing 56% of all the tumors in dogs and 80% in cats. Predicting the survival time and treatment response for malignant tumors is necessary to evaluate the best care options for the animal. Histological tumor grading helps veterinarians to define the prognosis, but each tumor has its own grading system with different prognosis, in terms of survival rate, metastatic rate, recurrence incidence. It could be not so easy to get your bearings in the pathologic words of gradings. The goal of this seminar is to be able to correlate the validated prognosis to each tumor grading we will see. We will rapidly review what tumor grading is and how it is evaluated. Then we will spend some time to review some of the most important tumor gradings (mammary tumors, mast cell tumors, melanomas, soft tissue sarcomas) and the correlated and validated prognostic factors. At the end of the seminar you will be able to clearly understand your pathologist’s report based on the grading system, and to use it to give an appropriate prognosis to the owners.

Canine and feline lymphoma is a relatively common disease but there are some areas where potential complications arise. This webinar will concentrate on the diagnostic tests that can be utilised for this disease and the common treatments, with an emphasis on how the diagnostic tests can influence the treatment and prognosis. In dogs, diagnosis is usually relatively straightforward, but it can be more of a challenge in cats due to the differences in clinical presentation. The standard initial treatment options are well described, but how they need to be modified dependent on concurrent illnesses, diagnostic test findings and owner constraints can be more complicated. My approach to these issues will be described including how they might impact the patient outcome, as well as alternatives. The monitoring of the patients and an overview of the management of complications of the disease and treatment is to be covered. The webinar will conclude with rescue options. Lymphoma can be a rewarding disease to treat, but can be very challenging at times.