Cancer in pets is common, but a diagnosis can feel overwhelming for pet parents. Thankfully, many cancer treatment options are available to help pets live longer and better-quality lives. Radiation therapy for pets is one of these options, and can work well alone or in conjunction with other treatments.

Radiation therapy for pets is used in veterinary oncology to help shrink tumors, reduce pain, and, in many cases, extend a pet’s life. The AERA radiation oncology team provides a closer look at how this therapy works with answers to frequently asked pet owner questions.

Question: What is radiation therapy for pets?

Answer: Radiation therapy uses energy similar to that used to take X-rays, but much stronger, to target cancer cells. The energy damages cells, helping shrink tumors or prevent them from growing. Unlike systemic chemotherapy, radiation therapy treatments target a specific area with minimal side effects to the rest of the body.

There are different types of radiation therapy. The best option for your pet depends on their cancer type, tumor location, and health history. The protocols chosen by our veterinary oncology team will also depend on whether your treatment goal is to achieve a cure (i.e., definitive treatment) or alleviate pain and improve your pet’s quality of life (i.e., palliative treatment).

Q: How does radiation therapy for pets work?

A: The machines that deliver radiation therapy, called linear accelerators, are highly advanced and can provide precise doses of radiation to exact areas in a pet’s body. The radiation beam affects both normal cells and cancer cells; however, the cancer cells have a lower ability to recover after exposure.

Radiation dose levels are carefully calculated based on the tumor size and type of cancer. The total dose is delivered in small amounts over a longer period (i.e., fractionated radiation) or high doses over fewer sessions (i.e., stereotactic radiation therapy, or SRT). Before treatment, your pet will have a CT scan to plan for precise delivery.

Q: Is radiation therapy for pets safe?

A: Our veterinary radiation oncology team takes precautions to ensure each pet stays safe during their treatments. Meticulous treatment planning, advanced imaging, and custom positioning devices ensure the radiation beam reaches the exact same spot each time.

Pets must undergo anesthesia for each treatment, but risks are minimal given the short overall anesthetic time. If your pet’s anesthetic risk is high, your oncologist will discuss alternative treatment options.

Q: Will my pet have side effects from radiation therapy?

A: Veterinary radiation oncologists spend a great deal of time calculating radiation doses and creating protocols to minimize the potential for the radiation beam to damage healthy cells. Because of this, most side effects are mild and resolve about four to six weeks after treatment ends.

The most common issue after radiation is a “radiation burn,” or irritation of the skin or mucus membranes (including the GI tract) near the treatment site. More serious side effects can appear months after treatment and most commonly include scarring of normal tissues that can alter their function. Your oncology team will go over potential side effects and how to manage them.

Q: How many radiation therapy treatments will my pet need?

A: The number of radiation treatments necessary to treat a pet’s cancer depends on the type of treatment your pet receives. Traditional radiation therapy usually involves daily sessions for several consecutive weeks. Each visit lasts only a few hours. Stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) allows for high doses to be given over only a few sessions.

The best protocol for each pet depends on the details of their cancer, the owner’s treatment goals, and how far the pet owner lives from the animal hospital providing treatment.

Q: How does radiation therapy for pets help improve quality of life?

A: In pets, a cure for cancer is not always achievable. More often, treatments are designed to extend the length of a pet’s life while also improving their quality of life. Stopping tumor growth or shrinking a tumor temporarily can alleviate pain or pressure on nearby healthy tissues, helping pets feel better for a few weeks or months. In palliative radiation therapy, the goal is comfort.

Targeted cancer care for better outcomes

Radiation therapy for pets is a powerful tool in veterinary medicine, providing comfort to animal cancer patients with minimal side effects. This flexible treatment can be used alone or alongside surgery or chemotherapy so that pet owners can build a treatment regimen that’s right for their pet and family.

If your pet has been diagnosed with cancer, the medical and radiation oncology teams at AERA can help. Contact us to learn about radiotherapy and other treatment options to help your pet with cancer live a longer, better life.