At A&M veterinary clinic, high-tech equals hope

Dread and hope flit through the air of the waiting room like storm clouds and clear blue competing for a place in the sky. This is a place of last refuge, intractable hope and boundless love, the entrance to a battlefield between cutting-edge science and cancer. Aurora Bright Star, better known as Chancy, their 8-year-old Gordon setter, had an inoperable brain tumor near her pituitary gland and was given fewer than 90 days to live. Once eager to chase squirrels, Chancy now spent her days lying listlessly on the couch. Over Christmas, she suffered a series of seizures that left her limp. Then the Gormans' veterinarian, Dan Hicks, told them about Texas A&M's Diagnostic Imaging and Cancer Treatment Center, home to one of the country's two animal TomoTherapy units. The $3 million machine combines radiation therapy and CT scanning technology to treat tumors once considered untreatable. "I got the feeling they weren't going to give up until they had done everything they could to help Chancy and us," she said. "No matter what, we were going to fight the tumor and the poor outcome with everything possible."

Targeting the tumor

Instead of spraying radiation over the entire tumor area, TomoTherapy produces a beam that zeroes in on diseased areas with near-surgical precision while sparing healthy tissue and organs. That can make the difference between blindness and sight for dogs like Chancy, whose tumor edged dangerously close to her optic nerve, or the difference between amputation and keeping a limb. "We're able to increase the cure rate for these patients, minimize the toxicity with each patient and increase the quality of their life for as long as possible," explained Michael Deveau, the clinic's radiation oncologist. Before the unit went online last summer, the clinic's equipment was from the 1970s, useless in treating more serious cases. Often, the A&M veterinary oncologists referred patients to out-of-state treatment centers. Now, the clinic treats seven to 10 patients a week with TomoTherapy. Nick Vera of Spring took Magnum to the A&M clinic after he discovered a large lump on the 155-pound Great Dane's front paw. It was a soft tissue tumor wrapped around the tendons. Such tumors contain microscopic, fingerlike projections that burrow deep under the skin and can't be treated with conventional radiation, said Heather Wilson-Robles, a veterinary oncologist. Usually, treatment is amputation. With TomoTherapy, however, the A&M team was able to treat the microscopic cancers and enough surrounding tissue to halt the spread of the tumor, said Wilson-Robles, who continued to make arrangements for Magnum's treatment even as she was going into labor with her son. Today, Magnum shows no sign of the disease other than a concave gap on his paw where the mass was removed.

Costs $6,000 to $7,000

The average TomoTherapy treatment regime runs 20 days, and costs about $6,000 to $7,000 for a four-week protocol. The treatment can take less than 12 minutes, but preparation is meticulous and time-consuming. On treatment day, the patient is hooked up to anesthesia and monitors tracking temperature, breathing and blood pressure, then wheeled into the TomoTherapy room on a gurney. "We get attached to all our patients," said Deveau. "We owe it to them to provide the best possible care." "I lost my mother and my husband, and she was there for me. I needed to be there for her," said Crooks, a Willis resident whose voice cracked as she recounted Nutmeg's illness. "She's my companion. She deserved the right to have a chance for quality of life and longevity." About 2,400 miles away, another success story is back to chasing squirrels and shadowing her owners' every pace. After four weeks of treatment, Chancy's brain tumor, while not eliminated, shrank considerably. "With any luck, she'll outlive the tumor," said Gorman. "I forget some days that she has a tumor. She's back to wagging her tail and being herself, totally herself."

Every human can be touched by an animal. Whether it be a dog, cat, snake, or turtle they all provide an emotional attachment. Having to put a pet down after an unfortunate event it heartbreaking, very similar to losing a family member, sometimes harder depending on the person. This new technology will and does provide groundbreaking technology that will change the lives of many pets and owners to come.

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