Cancer used to be a death sentence, but advances in treatment have made it frequently manageable, both in human and veterinary medicine.

As we gain more knowledge, cancer treatments for pets have become more readily available and more sophisticated — and success rates continue to rise. In fact, cancer is often easier to treat than old-age diseases such as kidney or liver failure.

Chemotherapy is highly successful for certain cancers in pets, including leukemia and lymphoma. Radiation therapy can be very effective for nasal or oral tumors, especially when combined with surgery or chemotherapy.

Typically, pets have fewer side effects than people, with less vomiting and little hair loss.

Most treatment is managed by veterinary oncology specialists, and successful treatment can add months or even years to a pet’s life.