Decoding Dog Cancer Diagnosis: The Truth About Staging and Grading | Dr. Brooke Britton #270

Dr. Brooke Britton decodes dog cancer diagnosis! The veterinary oncologist explains the critical role of staging and grading in understanding AND treating dog cancer. Discover what staging and grading mean, how they differ, and why these assessments are essential to tailoring your dog’s treatment plan.

Dr. Britton dives into:

• What cancer staging reveals about disease progression.
• How staging influences treatment and prognosis.
• The difference between staging and grading.
• Examples of staging systems for common cancers like lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma.
• Making informed decisions when finances limit testing options.
• The importance of staging for advancing veterinary oncology research.

Whether navigating a diagnosis or exploring treatment options, this episode offers clarity and actionable advice to help you and your dog.

Your Voice Matters!

If you have a question for our team, or if you want to share your own hopeful dog cancer story, we want to hear from you! Go to https://www.dogcancer.com/ask to submit your question or story, or call our Listener Line at +1 808-868-3200 to leave a question.

Related Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r62bN5mRMCM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9ONO8g_8C0

Related Links:

Our comprehensive overview of staging and grading dog cancer diagnosis: https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/diagnosis-and-medical-procedures/staging-and-grading-cancer-in-dogs/

A great article on the costs of dog cancer diagnosis and treatment, with compassionate advice about how to balance your love for your dog with budgetary limits: https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/stress-and-finances/cost-of-cancer-treatment-for-dogs/

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

00:30 – What is Cancer Staging?

01:15 – How Staging Impacts Treatment

02:30 – Staging Systems for Dogs vs. Humans

03:00 – Examples: Lymphoma Staging Explained

04:00 – Hemangiosarcoma Staging Overview

05:30 – What Does Grading Mean?

06:45 – Staging Tests: Blood Work, Imaging, and More

10:45 – Balancing Testing Costs with Treatment Decisions

13:15 – How Staging Helps Guide Prognosis

15:00 – When to Skip Staging and Focus on Treatment

18:00 – Staging’s Role in Oncology Research

21:00 – Closing Thoughts

Get to know Dr. Brooke Britton: https://www.dogcancer.com/people/brooke-britton-dvm-dacvim-oncology/

For more details, articles, podcast episodes, and quality education, go to the episode page: https://www.dogcancer.com/podcast/

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