Animal cancer center at Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies Edinburgh will also benefit humans
Last updated 22/06/2009 10:26:16
Animal cancer center at Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies Edinburgh
A state of the art cancer centre is to provide the latest therapies to animals and give insight into cancers in humans.
The £3 million centre at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh is the first facility of its kind in Scotland. The centre will provide radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery for animals and treat around 20 cases each week.
The centre forms part of the School's Hospital for Small Animals. It is installed with the latest equipment including a linear accelerator to provide radiotherapy and a CT scanner for diagnosis, which is large enough to take scans of horses.
The cancer centre will have the most sophisticated diagnostic procedures, followed by comprehensive cancer therapies for pets. It will also pave the way for comparative medicine, relating what we know about the disease in animals to humans to improve treatments for all.
The spread of cancer in cats and dogs is similar to the spread of cancer in humans.The centre aims to inform improvements in treatments for both animals and people.
Research will include identifying cancer causing genes, understanding tumour progression and analysing the role of stem cells in cancer.
The cancer centre forms part of a £100 million development on the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies', which includes a research building and a teaching building.
Professor David Argyle, Director, said: "The cancer centre will have the most sophisticated diagnostic procedures, followed by comprehensive cancer therapies for pets. It will also pave the way for comparative medicine, relating what we know about the disease in animals to humans to improve treatments for all."
One visitor to the centre was Scrooble, a seven year-old border collie who was a former patient at the Hospital for Small Animals. Scrooble went onto become a finalist in the Crufts Flyball agaility contest six months after receiving successfully chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
Owner Sarah Hawkswell said: " When Scrooble was undergoing treatment, the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. The new centre will be a fantastic addition to the care given to animals with cancer."
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