By Teresa Garden, DVM
Recent research in veterinary medicine suggests that one half of dogs and cats over the age of 10 have cancer somewhere in their body. It does not imply that cancer will be their cause of death, only that it is there. It may rear its ugly head enough for it to be discovered or it may not. When cancer is diagnosed in your pet it can often be treated. Current oncological approaches are increasingly effective and pets do recover or at least have quality time added to their life. Mainstream treatments for cancer include the following and sometimes a combination thereof: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The problem is that each of these modalities has limitations. Surgery may be impractical due to location, size, or invasiveness of the tumor. Metastases or poor condition of the pet may exclude surgery as a viable treatment option. Chemotherapy can be expensive and have adverse effects on healthy cells and tissues. Radiation therapy is offered at only a few facilities and may not be practical due to travel time and/or expense involved. The efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be limited in many cancer cases. These are a few reasons why concerned pet owners may seek alternative cancer treatments for their pet.
A practical, affordable, and effective alternative treatment for cancer in some pets is Neoplasene. Neoplasene is an isoquinolone alkaloid derived from Sanguinaria canadensis, the bloodroot plant. It can be employed to treat and eradicate fast growing tissue such as warts, benign tumors and malignant tumors. Neoplasene is the trade name for the alkaloid Sanguinarine. Neoplasene works by destroying the cell membrane of malignant cells. Neoplasene will cause necrosis and inhibition of proliferation of neoplasms by interfering with their cell DNA and ATP. It does this while at the same time sparing healthy cells and tissues. This is a huge advantage over typical chemotherapeutic drugs. Various forms of Neoplasene (topical salve, injection, oral liquid) are available to veterinarians for use. Which form to use depends on the location, size, and shape of the tumor but not the type of cancer. Treatment protocol is independent of cancer cell type.
Neoplasene salve can be topically applied to relatively small tumors in the skin or subcutaneous tissue. The treated area is bandaged for 24 hours and then the salve is removed. The tumor will start to die away in 4-5 days after which an open wound will need to be managed for approximately 1-2 weeks. For relatively large skin and subcutaneous tumors injectable Neoplasene X is employed. The area of tumor is clipped and cleaned and small amounts of Neoplasesne X are injected at multiple sites into the tumor. After 5-7 days the tumor will undergo necrosis (cell death). At this time follow-up treatment with the salve or oral Neoplasene is indicated. It may require several weeks to get resolution of a large tumor and will require managing an open wound.
The liquid oral form of Neoplasene is indicated for use for internal tumors not amenable to surgery or chemotherapy and for cancers that have metastasized. As previously stated it is often employed as follow-up treatment to skin and subcutaneous tumors that have been treated with Neoplasene salve or injection. It also can be employed as follow-up treatment for cancers that have already been treated surgically or with radiation. The oral form of the drug circulates throughout the body causing apoptosis and necrosis of neoplasms wherever it contacts diseased cells. Oral Neoplasene is systemic in its effect. Thus, cancer remote and unseen (metastases) is attacked. It may be used for several months or even lifetime depending on the type of cancer. The oral liquid is mixed with the pet’s natural grain-free canned food or homemade food twice daily. No dry or raw food may be given while the pet is on the medicine. Side effects such as nausea are minimized by giving an anti-emetic medicine such as Reglan prior to meals.
Neoplasene has been used to treat many types of cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, mast cell tumor, spindle cell tumor, bladder cancer, hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, mammary tumors, fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, adenocarcinoma, and melanoma. Neoplasene can be a viable alternative treatment modality for cancer in pets deemed too risky for surgery or if pet owners are under financial restraints that may exclude options of surgery or chemotherapy. Many thousands of clinical applications have been accomplished as of June 2008. Private practitioners, as well as veterinary oncologists, have employed Neoplasene to help their small and large animal cancer patients. To learn more about this unique oncological therapeutic product please visit the following websites: www.neoplasene.net and www.buckmountainbotanicals.net.
Dr. Teresa Garden is chief veterinarian/owner of Animal Health & Healing, a full-service holistic and conventional veterinary practice in the Maplewood / Richmond Heights area. Phone: 314-781-1738. AnimalHealthnadHealing.com.