CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PetCure Oncology, the nation’s leader in advanced radiation therapy for pets, celebrated its one-year anniversary of treating patients this month. The first veterinary provider to make stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) available to pets on a national scale, PetCure Oncology’s commitment to integrating SRS into veterinary medicine has been a game changer regarding cancer care for pets.
Since launching its first site at Arizona Veterinary Oncology in Phoenix in May 2015, PetCure has opened locations at Care Center in Cincinnati, Ohio and Veterinary Radiation and Imaging Center in Clifton, New Jersey, and is weeks away from opening a fourth location at Lakeshore Veterinary Specialists in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“We know how important pets are to families,” said JoAnn Stewart, PetCure Oncology chief operating officer. “Sadly, cancer accounts for nearly 50 percent of all disease-related pet deaths annually. But over the past year, pets like Sunny, Calvin, Lilly, Snickers, Addy, Cera and close to 300 other cancer patients have been successfully treated at a PetCure Oncology site. We call them ‘Pet Heroes.’ Most of our patients have been dogs, a number of them have been cats, and we have even treated a goat. We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished in such a short time to help so many animals.”
The core of PetCure’s success has been built on providing SRS directly to the veterinary community. SRS is an advanced form of radiation therapy used for decades in human medicine and has only recently become available for pets. It offers significant benefits over conventional radiation therapy (RT) by:
- Offering treatment with the intent to cure cancer rather than just ease symptoms
- Enabling treatment of some tumors previously considered inoperable - including brain, spine or prostate
- Delivering radiation with sub-millimeter precision in a noninvasive, nonsurgical manner
- Minimizing the risks and side effects commonly associated with conventional RT
- Requiring only 1-3 treatment sessions as opposed to 15-21
“Pets deserve the same level of quality cancer care that humans receive,” said Scott Milligan, PetCure Oncology chief executive officer. “In addition to the outstanding technology and exceptionally trained and compassionate team members, our establishment of a Scientific Advisory Board has been a tremendous innovation for animals. Our nine-member team of well-respected clinical experts represents the fields of veterinary and human radiation oncology, medical oncology, stereotactic radiosurgery, and medical physics. The board has worked hard to establish data-driven delivery protocols and implement human-caliber quality-control standards.”
The company has laid out ambitious goals for the near future, including:
- Growth: Opening three more sites in 2016 and at least a half dozen in 2017 to continue toward a goal of 30 sites in five years, making SRS accessible to every pet owner in the continental United States.
- Knowledge: Collecting and analyzing patient treatment data to further the science of SRS delivery and veterinary radiation oncology in general.
- Education: Teaching the public about treating cancer in companion animals and sharing the benefits of SRS with the veterinary and pet owner communities remain a top priority.
- Collaboration: Partnering with veterinarians to create greater health-care opportunities. A direct consult platform is in development, which will allow veterinarians to interact with a team of PetCure Oncology’s veterinary radiation oncologists in near-real time.
- Innovation: Continuing to drive the science behind effective cancer treatments for pets.
For additional information, visit PetCureOncology.com.
