Angiogenesis is the creation of blood vessels that feed tumors. One strategy for treating canine cancer is to interrupt the process and starve the tumors by using antiangiogenic drugs.
-
Benefits
-
Antiangiogenic drugs are less invasive than surgery and easier on the body than radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Features
-
Cancers have the ability to become resistant to chemotherapy, but that is seldom a problem with antiangiogenic drugs, because the medications work on cells in the body and not directly on cancer cells.
Types
-
Antiangiogenic drugs work on a multitude of cancers, including tumors that might be classified as inoperable. In addition, various types of antiangiogenic medications can be combined to be more effective.
Time Frame
-
Antiangiogenic drugs typically take weeks or months to become fully effective, but their greatest advantages are that they keep tumor growth in check and can be used long-term.
Potential
-
The newly approved drug toceranib is the first antiangiogenic medicine formulated specifically for dogs and should be available by the middle of 2010.
-