‘It saved her life’ new drug that fights against cancer in pets – KLAS – 8 News Now

KLAS
Please enter a search term.
Please enter a search term.
by: Heather Mills
Posted: Jul 29, 2022 / 10:26 PM PDT
Updated: Jul 29, 2022 / 10:27 PM PDT
by: Heather Mills
Posted: Jul 29, 2022 / 10:26 PM PDT
Updated: Jul 29, 2022 / 10:27 PM PDT
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)– An injection to kill off the most common type of cancer in dogs, mast tumor cells, that involves no chemotherapy or radiation is making life much easier for pet owners.
Man’s best friend provides so much comfort and love to their owner, so when a pet is sick owners want the best treatment. This new option not only appears to be effective but also relatively easy on pets.
Rella has been a part of Brea Barlow’s family for six years.
“She goes to school with me, college and everything. I would do anything to help her quality of life and keep her with us longer,” said Barlow.
Rella formed a lump on her back leg and a trip to the vet revealed that the lump was cancer, a mast cell tumor.
“The tumor was getting bigger and bigger which is why we brought her in and were worried about it, but it wasn’t affecting her enough that I was willing to amputate the leg,” said Barlow.
Rella was a candidate for the new drug Stelfonta which is a medicine that is injected into the mast cell tumor breaking down cancer cells by starving their blood supply.
“I knew very well how it worked and I knew very well what my expectations were,” said Dr. Mark Epsstein who severed on the drug’s advisory board.
The expectation is for the tumor to go away in a matter of weeks leaving behind a hole where healthy tissue can form.
Each case is unique, for Rella two injections proved successful, today she is cancer free.
“It saved her life and has stopped the cancer from spreading so I would definitely recommend it,” said Barlow.
The side effects are minimal mostly showing up during the healing process. The medication costs less than other options at under a thousand dollars.
Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

source