For companian animal owners
Anyone who has experienced the unconditional love and warmth of a dog or another companian animal knows the devotion this relationship can foster, but at the same time the overwhelming distress and sadness that comes with the news of a terminal illness. When your beloved companian animal is diagnosed with cancer, many feelings are brought up to the surface and suddenly there are many questions needing answers.
Oasmia takes every companian animal owner's anxiety and distress seriously and the company views companian animals in the same way as any other patient group. We would like to answer some of the questions that can arise with the news that one's best friend since many years has been diagnosed with cancer.
What methods of treatment are there today?
The treatment of tumours in companian animals follows the same procedure as those used in human patients. Tumours can be surgically removed, exposed to ionizing radiation or be treated with chemotherapy. These treatment options are normally used separately but combinations are also common in order to improve the desired effect. The protocol used in the individual case depends on factors such as the type of tumour and when the tumour is diagnosed, as well as the age and general conditions of the patient.
What is a tumour?
A tumour is a growth formed due to a permanent alteration in a cells internal regulation system, resulting in uncontrolled and unbalanced growth of cells. Tumours can either be locally situated or be spread in the tissues of the body. Tumours can be benign or malignant.
What is the difference between a benign and a malignant tumour?
A benign tumour does not spread. A malignant tumour has the ability to spread in the body and form metastases or secondary tumours. Even if a tumour does not cause metastases it can locally be very aggressive. It can affect and destroy the surrounding tissues.
What is cancer?
When a tumour is diagnosed as benign it is not called cancer. If a tumour is diagnosed as malignant, the correct expression is cancer. The distinction between different types can be difficult. Sometimes both terms are used synonymously, which is not entirely correct.
What is chemotherapy?
Different protocols are usually based on the procedures known from humans. Only the doses are adjusted. Treatment with chemotherapy means that aggressive tumours are destroyed or controlled upon treatment with various chemical agents. These chemicals affect the cellular machinery controlling the division of new cells. Because cancer cells normally divide faster since the growth is uncontrolled, they are destroyed at a greater rate than the surrounding normal body cells. The balance between affecting normal versus cancer cells is often sensitive and the used treatment protocol can result in various adverse side effects in the patient.
What is Paccal® Vet?
Paccal® Vet is a new formulation of paclitaxel, which is the active ingredient in the most effective and common chemotherapeutic cancer drugs today.
How does Paccal® Vet work?
Paclitaxel belongs to a group of cytostatics called taxanes. Like this group of agents in general, Paccal Vet inhibits the growth and division of cancer cells by affecting certain structures important for the survival of the cell.
How does treatment with Paccal® Vet differ from existing treatments?
One of the most important differences between Paccal® Vet and other treatments is the presence of a new excipient, making the sparsely soluble paclitaxel water soluble. This reduces the risk of serious side effects as hypersensitivity, it makes short infusion times possible and it makes pre-medication unnecessary. The product candidate has shown excellent results in clinical trials.
What are the benefits of Paccal® Vet?
- acceptable adverse effects
- water soluble
- no pre-medication needed
- short infusion times
- effective
- low toxicity
What are clinical studies?
Clinical studies are performed both in humans and animals in order to investigate the efficacy and safety profile of a pharmaceutical drug candidate. The studies are usually divided into phase I-IV, depending on time schedule and the number of patients involved.
Participation in a study is voluntary. Clinical studies have to be approved by proper government authorities before commencing, independently if the study includes humans or companion animals. An important common denominator is the high ethical demands for both patient groups.
