HOPE starts with an ACCC Consultation
It is traumatic to learn that your beloved pet may have cancer, and yes, you will need to make some decisions. Your primary veterinarian trusts our medical, professional, and personal guidance and knows that making informed, responsible decisions about your pet’s well-being will give you peace of mind. With our expert care, you have reason to HOPE now more than ever before.
There are many new approaches to treating cancer in animals of any age, often at costs far less than expected. Because animals do not experience many of the negative side effects that humans do, the quality and longevity of an animal’s life can be significantly improved with even basic cancer care. Meeting with one of our Veterinary Oncologist Specialists at a Consultation will help you learn about your pet’s condition and treatment options – often addressing preconceptions you may have about animal cancer care (e.g., too late, too expensive, too risky, too painful, too inconvenient).
Because animal cancer can advance quickly, we schedule Consultations with pet owners as soon as possible after your primary veterinarian suspects cancer. In most cases, your veterinarian will electronically submit your referral to ACCC while you are still at their clinic – with all information and any recent test results. You can also Schedule a Consultation yourself or simply call us directly.
A Consultation visit can be at any of our seven locations in Central and South Florida and will take about one to two hours during which a Veterinary Oncologist Specialist will review your pet’s medical history, conduct an examination, and create what we call your Optimal OUTCOMES Care GuideTM. See below.
A Consultation with ACCC Provides Genuine HOPE
Hope
Every Consultation with ACCC includes a written Optimal OUTCOMES Care GuideTM created by the Oncologist conducting your Consultation. The Guide includes an Expert Diagnosis and Care Plan with associated prognosis, costs, and schedule. In arriving at this plan, we will take the time to discuss and analyze your options, making sure to answer all your questions. Of course, you are under no obligation to pursue any treatment whatsoever, but if you decide to go forward we can often initiate treatment at this first appointment. The Optimal OUTCOMES Care GuideTM will be sent to your primary veterinarian, who we will regularly update on your pet’s care and condition throughout any treatment.
Optimal OUTCOMES Care Guide™
1. Expert Diagnosis
The first step in our Consultation is procuring an Expert Diagnosis from the Oncologist who will lead and coordinate your care at ACCC. Before cancer treatment options and related prognoses can be determined, a pet’s condition needs to be properly “diagnosed” and in many cases “staged” and/or “graded”. A diagnosis is the identification of the disease “type”, including its location. The stage (stages 0-5) is a measurement of tumor size and/or spread in the body and the grade (grades 1-3) is a measurement of the abnormal appearance of cancer cells and possibility of malignancy.
We call it an Expert Diagnosis because it will always target the criteria only an expert Veterinary Oncology Specialist can meet consistently: that the diagnosis be as thorough and accurate as necessary to indicate the most effective Treatment Options, but not beyond what will impact those options – risking delay, expense and comfort unnecessarily. Because our Veterinary Oncology Specialists see a very high volume of cancer patients every day, they know best how to interpret symptoms, order and conduct exams, and understand lab findings – only pursuing further diagnostic tests when medically necessary.
Arriving at an ACCC Expert Diagnosis
- Often, the easily observable symptoms of cancer indicate clearly to an experienced oncologist the underlying condition and little further information is required in order to design the best treatment plan. In this case, an Expert Diagnosis can be made at the Consultation with a physical examination and perhaps a simple blood or urine test, which can be evaluated immediately in our on-site lab. In these cases, treatment can commence as early as this very first visit.
- In some cases, it is necessary to see an image of the cancer to arrive at an Expert Diagnosis. For this we conduct in-house, non-invasive tests such as an X-ray (using digital radiograph), CT scan (computed tomography using multiple angle x-ray beams for 3D cross-section views) or ultrasound (using sound wave echoes). These tests are often done during the Consultation and may take one to three days to be read and evaluated.
- Sometimes an Expert Diagnosis requires a tissue sample biopsy (microscopic evaluation of cells) to understand the exact cellular nature of the cancer. This is obtained with either a fine needle “aspiration” (extraction of tissue), a small incision, or in some cases only with surgery. If surgery is necessary it often makes sense to remove the entire tumor, or as much cancer as we can, during the operation and thus, the diagnosis and treatment procedures coincide. The removed tissue will then be tested to inform further treatment.
Again, the diagnostic tests above are only undertaken if the information gained will impact treatment recommendations and/or prognoses. They do, however, cost money and can take time – which will be clearly outlined before any procedures are undertaken. If a Client elects not to perform tests, then our Treatment Options will be presented based on available information and the experience and expertise of our specialists.
2. Treatment Options
Given your pet’s diagnosed condition, your Consultation with us will result in Treatment Options designed by your Oncologist to satisfy different Client and Patient priorities and needs or cost/benefit trade-offs. Different Treatment Options may be discussed, including rationale and description of integrated treatment modes, prognosis, general schedule and cost.
Much like human cancer treatment, veterinary oncology is complicated. The Treatment Options we present are based on many factors – some that can be controlled (e.g., accurate diagnosis/staging/grading, expertise in designing optimal treatment protocols), and some that cannot be controlled (e.g., pet age, condition, therapeutic responsiveness, owner resources). Analysis of all factors to arrive at proper options for care, along with the skillful ability to execute them, make all the difference in achieving Optimal OUTCOMES.
Though uniquely designed for each animal, Treatment Options typically include one or more of four main treatment modes: Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Immunotherapy, and Electrochemotherapy.
The importance of experience, professional judgment, skills, teamwork, up-to-date industry knowledge, and on-site resources available to our specialists are hard to overstate in developing and analyzing treatment protocols and related prognoses. Your Oncologist will make sure to spend the time you need to fully understand and compare your Treatment Options and get all your questions answered. If helpful, arrangements can usually be made for you to meet with any other doctors who may be involved in your pet’s care.
3. Informed Decisions
Our Clients tell us the best way to handle the stress of a beloved pet’s illness is by making responsible and informed decisions. Once you have obtained an Expert Diagnosis and discussed Treatment Options with your Oncologist, you will be well-positioned to make such decisions. Also, know that if you have a change of heart, or your pet’s responsiveness to treatment decisions suggests adjustments should be made, you will not be locked in. In most cases, your financial commitment to us is incurred over the treatment schedule and is due in clearly defined increments.
4. Care Plan
If you decide to pursue cancer treatment for your pet, we will confirm all elements of your Care Plan including prescriptions, medical procedures/preparation, communication protocols, schedule, appointment details and locations, and costs/payment arrangements. If other doctors will be involved in your Care Plan, you will know who they are and how they will participate. In addition, we will ensure your primary care veterinarian is immediately and completely apprised of your plan and schedule.