There is an overwhelming amount of information regarding cancer treatments, online and elsewhere. However, you will find little guidance on how to assess or integrate all this material, much of which is of questionable origin. You could devote hundreds of hours to research and still have no clear idea about how best to proceed.
If your Dog has cancer, you will have to make some crucial decisions over the next few days or weeks. You can't afford to lose precious time on a Google marathon that may lead you up scores of blind alleys. Your need is for a dependable strategy right now. Solid information is both hard to find and bewildering when found.
If you have already done some research on alternative approaches to canine cancer, you may have come across the following arguments supporting recommended treatments:
"Based on scientific research." Scientific research can give us information that is valuable; however, again, it does not address the individual differences of different Dogs. There is very little scientific research on non-conventional treatments for Dogs with cancer. In addition, as you will see in the following pages, many studies are seriously flawed, and can be manipulated to produce false results.
"Confirmed by impressive testimonials." Making treatment choices based on testimonials is hazardous. Even a treatment with a measly 5% success rate may draw some enthusiastic testimonials. You would never know from reading them that the treatment failed in 95% of the cases! Further, because of the individuality of every Dog, the successes of one group of owners are not necessarily relevant to another owner. There is no universal magic bullet. Treatment must be individualized.
"It worked for a friend." The same objection about individuality applies here, but with even greater force. What can be learned from a sample of one?
Let's take a closer look at the scientific research that has been done on cancer in dogs.
A search of veterinary journals listed in the National Library of Medicine yields very little information about the causes of canine cancer, though there are many articles about conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation.
One of the few studies that addresses causes is "Prevalence of obese dogs in a population of dogs with cancer," in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. It shows that dogs that had a history of corticosteroid use (corticosteroid drugs include prednisone, hydrocortisone, and triamcinolone) had higher rates of cancer, and those dogs were fatter from the steroid use. When the corticosteroid dogs were separated out, the remaining dogs with cancer had a lower incidence of excess weight.
Other findings were that the prevalence of cancer was higher in neutered dogs, both male and female, and that certain breeds were more at risk than others.
Surprisingly, the study found that higher body fat may be protective against certain types of cancer. (Mast cell tumors were an exception to this pattern.)
What does all this tell us? First, it tells us that we should shun corticosteroids for our dogs at all costs; there are more natural alternatives. It also tells us that neutering increases the risk of cancer. Neither this study nor other studies, however, shed light on how obesity is related, or not, to cancer in dogs.
Scientific research is not always the gold standard of reliability. Perhaps you remember that studies of the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx were manipulated to show that it was safe and effective. The researchers wanted to suppress the fact that the drug caused heart attacks in some subjects. Their solution was simple: anyone who died wasn't counted! There are many, many studies that are just as deceptive.
You might seek guidance from "common knowledge" and clinical evidence. It's common knowledge, for example, that if a dog drinks antifreeze it will die. There is no scientific study on that, nor would it be humane to conduct one. Rather, the fact is established from clinical observation.
Of course, you could turn to your veterinarian. Most veterinarians are caring professionals who do the best they can with the resources available to them. But it's hardly reassuring that there are no published protocols or standards of care for canine cancer. In other words, each vet has to improvise his or her approach to a case. Your vet may suggest that you consult a veterinary oncologist, who will probably favor chemotherapy and/or radiation - expensive and, in my opinion, ineffective measures.
Some veterinarians describe themselves as "holistic." These practitioners will be supportive of non-toxic types of treatment. You can find such a vet by consulting a database maintained by the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
Perhaps the most reliable information comes from specific testing of the individual dog. When a blood test shows low sodium levels, for example, the condition can be treated with dietary salt. In Dog Cancer: The Holistic Answer, I describe a practical method of doing individual specific testing on your pet.
Dr. Steven Eisen is the author of "Dog Cancer: The Holistic Answer ". The book is a comprehensive guide to effective, holistic dog cancer treatment. More information can be found at http://DogCancerAdvice.com
