{"id":22592,"date":"2022-10-01T00:00:13","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T00:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=22592"},"modified":"2022-10-05T19:56:48","modified_gmt":"2022-10-05T19:56:48","slug":"diagnosis-cancer-1022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/diagnosis-cancer-1022\/","title":{"rendered":"Diagnosis: Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

I thought my 13-year-old miniature schnauzer had pancreatitis. He had it once before, and the symptoms seemed the same this time. But it wasn\u2019t pancreatitis, his veterinarian told me. Or leptospirosis. After doing bloodwork, urinalysis and X-rays, the doctor wasn\u2019t sure what was wrong with Jack, my \u201cfirst-born baby,\u201d who had been with me since he was 9 weeks old. But it was clear something was wrong.<\/p>\n

That morning, Jack had gone from his normal self to terribly sick in a matter of hours. He was so ADR \u2014 \u201cAin\u2019t doin\u2019 right,\u201d as patient notes sometimes read \u2014 that our veterinarian sent us to Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital near Denver.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, poor baby,\u201d the client service representative said as I carried Jack\u2019s sturdy 25-pound body through the emergency doors. It was a cold February day, and I had wrapped him in a blanket.<\/p>\n

Stacy D. Meola, DVM, DACVECC, a Wheat Ridge criticalist and associate medical director, carefully examined Jack. Her recommendations included an abdominal ultrasound.<\/p>\n

A little while later, Dr. Meola delivered the bad news as I waited with a sleeping Jack, who was full of fluids and pain meds.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack has multiple masses on his spleen and liver,\u201d Dr. Meola told me. \u201cThey could be benign, but we won\u2019t know for sure until we get the results from the pathologist tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Meola sat close to me. She looked me in the eyes. She possessed a matter-of-factness but also genuine kindness. She seemed sad delivering the news to a woman sitting with her schnauzer in her lap, mascara running down her face. Dr. Meola\u2019s steadiness and confidence helped me stay calm and composed.<\/p>\n

It felt like Jack and I were all she cared about at that moment. Like she didn\u2019t have other patients to see or clients to talk with. Like she didn\u2019t need to grab a bite of dinner or hang up her stethoscope and head home. She was the warm blanket I needed wrapped around me.<\/p>\n

The next day, Dr. Meola\u2019s call confirmed what I feared most: Jack had cancer. According to Dr. Meola, the pathologist believed it was histiocytic sarcoma, an aggressive cancer.<\/p>\n

Jack was at the end of his life, but how Dr. Meola communicated the diagnosis and our options helped soften the devastating news and left me feeling empowered to make the best choice for Jack and our family.<\/p>\n

\"cancer\"

Jack after his cancer diagnosis.<\/p><\/div>\n

Here are six client communication tips to keep in mind when a patient has cancer.<\/p>\n

1. Be Direct and Honest<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very direct with my clients,\u201d Dr. Meola told me later. \u201cI feel that\u2019s the only way to get across the gravity of the situation in most cases. I also like to make sure they understand that we are a team, and as a team, we will make the best decision for their pet emotionally, spiritually and financially.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because Dr. Meola, who often diagnoses cancer multiple times a day, is direct and honest from the start, clients trust her when she delivers bad news. She has long conversations about the pathophysiology, diagnosis and client options. At Wheat Ridge, one wall in each exam room is finished with dry-erase paint so practitioners can use the wall to help educate clients<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not uncommon for me to fill an entire wall with information during a consult,\u201d Dr. Meola said. \u201cGiving them all the information and explaining their options brings them alongside me in making the right decision. They feel they understand what\u2019s going on and that they made the decision, not that I told them what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Stephen Cital, RVT, noticed his deerhound-greyhound mix, Diego, limping in August 2021, he called a close friend and colleague: Mountain View, California, veterinarian Cheri Nielsen, DVM, MS, DACVS.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s straightforward and direct, and I think that\u2019s kind. You\u2019re ripping off that Band-Aid right away so the pet owner can process the situation more quickly,\u201d Cital said. \u201cShe only gives you the practical and fair options for the animal, which I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t Give\u00a0Too Many Options<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like when you go to a restaurant that has a 15-page menu,\u201d Cital said. \u201cYou\u2019re like, \u2018What am I going to do?\u2019 Don\u2019t give pet owners so many options that they feel that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cital recommends narrowing the options to the best three or four.<\/p>\n

Dr. Meola offered three for Jack. She said we could try chemotherapy but:<\/p>\n