Medical Oncology 2009

with Dr Peter Bennett

February 2009

Do you have problems managing cancer cases?
Do you want to develop an effective treatment plan for your patient?

The field of medical oncology is a rapidly growing area in veterinary medicine. Nearly half of all small animal veterinary patients will die either because of, having had, or with a neoplasia of some sort. This is also an area that has suffered from a lack of knowledge, though this is changing steadily. We try to avoid these cases as we are uncomfortable with them. For many years we have heard the words, 'He has cancer, there is nothing that we can do'. There is always something that can be done and it is up to the clients as to whether they want to pursue these options. Many may elect not to, but to be able to inform all the clients of all the options is a valuable asset. The primary aim of this course is to provide a broad understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of cancer and to give an overview of the management of patients with cancer. While there is a lot of information given, the main thrust of the program is for use in the practice. A large amount of new knowledge is in the complex area of molecular biology, which can only be touched on in this course. While not currently of clinical use, a passing knowledge can help when clients have questions from information they have gleaned from the Internet. It is not possible to cover in depth the management of all types of cancer cases, but the aim is to cover the common tumour types in detail. This will enable familiarity with the basics of the field, especially practical chemotherapy. We will also provide sources for reference. Details of management of specific tumours can be obtained from excellent current references in the field or by consultation. Once the basics are understood then the experience can be taken into newer fields.

By participating in this course, you can expect to:

• improve the quality of life of cancer-bearing patients
• gain confidence in discussing the diseases and therapies available for neoplastic diseases in companion animals with the owners of these patients
• gain good general knowledge of therapies available for cancer in companion animals, and their implementation
• understand in detail the safe use of chemotherapy agents and the possible outcomes from their use
• gain knowledge about complications that can arise from neoplastic diseases, their treatments and how to deal with them

Tutor

Dr Peter Bennett
BVSc FACVSc DipACVIM

Dr Peter Bennett graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1981 and spent some years in small animal practice in Melbourne and the United Kingdom. He then trained in small animal internal medicine at Massey University, Universities of Tennessee and Georgia, and the University of Melbourne. He obtained his fellowship in canine medicine from the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists and diplomate status in small animal internal medicine from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Peter returned to the United States where he was a clinical instructor in oncology at Purdue University for three years. In 2001 he obtained diplomate status in oncology from the American College.

On completion of the instructorship, Peter returned to Melbourne where he is currently working at the Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre. Peter has been involved in undergraduate and post-graduate training in both oncology and internal medicine in both the United States and Australia.

 Enquiries

Please contact Karen Hewitt, course coordinator.

All DE participants are required to be CVE members.