W HEN their pets developed cancer last year, New Yorkers Ann Israel and Susanne Brown had to go all the way to Boston for veterinary care.
That’s because no New York animal hospital provided radiation treatment, the therapy recommended for fibrosarcomas, an aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer.
But ailing pets and their owners won’t have as far to go after Tuesday, when the Animal Medical Center (AMC) on the Upper East Side begins offering the therapy.
AMC had introduced the cancer treatment in 1987 but discontinued it more then a year ago after losing its radiation oncologist.
Veterinary radiation oncologists are notoriously hard to come by – there are fewer than 30 in the nation.
“I was extremely upset,” says Israel, owner of a Tibetan terrier named Einstein. “I found it inexcusable that I couldn’t get this done in the city.”
Though Israel and Brown, a cat owner, 045 . 0000.00both speak glowingly of the care at Boston’s Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, they racked up hefty hotel bills and travel expenses, in addition to thousands of dollars in medical bills.
About 10 percent of dogs and 8 percent of cats seen by vets each year have cancer.
Chemotherapy works well on some types of cancers in animals, such as lymphomas and bone and breast cancers, says Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, chairman of AMC’s department of medicine.
But, she says, radiation is the best course of action for fibrosarcomas, cell tumors, skin tumors and those inside nasal passages.
Patients usually receive between three and 20 treatments. Since animals have a hard time sitting still they must be anesthesized.
And like humans, animals generally lose some weight and become lethargic after treatment, but only temporarily, Hohenhaus adds. Hair loss at the radiation site 045 . 0000.00may be permanent, or the patch may experience regrowth in a different color.
Radiation alone can cost up to $3,000. Diagnosis, X-rays, biopsies and other medical costs can easily run another $2,000.
When it came to their pets’ health, no price was too high for Israel and Brown.
“Every time I look at her, my heart melts,” Israel says of Einstein. “There’s nothing like coming home and seeing her there.”
Brown’s husband and daughter accompanied her on some trips to Boston to visit their cat, Sammy.
“In my mind, I was ready to do what I had to do to take care of him,” she says. “That’s how much he means to us.”
A Boston cab driver was amazed that Brown went to such lengths, telling her most people would just put their pets to sleep.
The cabbie obviously wasn’t from the Big Apple – Israel says the waiting room at Angell Memorial was full of New Yorkers.045 . 0000.00 00000
