ABOUT DR SUE
DVM, DACVIM (ONCOLOGY)
Dr. Sue Ettinger is a practicing veterinary cancer specialist, international speaker, book author, and vlogger (video blogger). She is one of approximately 450 board-certified specialists in medical oncology in North America and currently practices at Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, Connecticut. She is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Fidu, a teleconsulting company to bring together general practice veterinarians and boarded veterinary specialists. She received her veterinary training at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her residency in medical oncology at the Animal Medical Center in NYC in 2003.
She was voted the 2019 Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) Small Animal Continuing Educator of the Year and has recently received awards for Exceptional Doctor Performance and the Public Relations Achievement.
Also known as Dr Sue Cancer Vet®, Dr. Sue is the co-author of the Second Edition of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, which is a best-selling book in small animal health for the last several years. She is a frequent contributor to many veterinary publications, including Today’s Veterinary Practice, Today’s Veterinary Business, Clinician’s Brief, Veterinary Team Brief, & DVM360. She also has co-hosted the podcast The Pet Cancer Vet and is a frequent guest on many veterinary podcasts.
There are many myths and misconceptions about cancer in dogs and cats. Most cancers are treatable, and there are a variety of treatment options. Dr Sue’s focus is to provide comprehensive and compassionate care. She strives to minimize side effects – from the cancer itself and treatment – to help her patients lead active, normal lives even while undergoing treatment. Her motto is live longer, live well.
Dr. Sue is most passionate about raising cancer awareness, and she has developed “See Something, Do Something, Why Wait? Aspirate.®” to promote early cancer detection and diagnosis. This cancer awareness initiative for skin and superficial tumors in dogs and cats provides a set of guidelines for pet owners and veterinarians to help identify the best management for skin and subcutaneous (under the skin) masses in dogs and cats. Masses must be sampled and evaluated under a microscope to determine what they are. The sooner we determine whether a mass is cancerous and should be removed, the better for our pets. Most skin and subcutaneous tumors can be cured with surgery alone if diagnosed early when masses are small. Early detection saves lives.
A native of Long Island, New York, Dr Sue knew she wanted to be a veterinarian since she was in kindergarten. She currently lives in Westchester, New York, with her husband, a veterinary internist, their two sons, and their goofy black Labrador, Matilda, and yellow Labrador, Penelope.
Dr Sue loves to use social media to help clients and veterinary professionals with cancer in pets, including Instagram, her YouTube Channel , and her popular Facebook page with over 38,000 fans.
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Isabela’s mast cell tumor wasn’t the largest that I have treated with Stelfonta, but her wound at day 7 was.
Her tumor was 2.8 x 2 x 1 cm, and her tumor volume was 2.8 cm3.
And her wound healing was amazing!
Watch to see the new FDA approved intratumoral treatment for mast cell tumors in action.
Seeing is believing.
📹 Want to see and learn more on Stelfonta for MCT? Check out my vlogs on my YouTube channel. Vlogs 130 -132
#kickcancersbutt
There’s a line a song: I haven’t found the new me yetI’m not sure if I will be completely new but I’m definitely evolving.
I’m learning to show myself more grace.
I used to push myself to make more content more consistently and do more. Sometimes I feel guilty because there is so much work to do. So many ideas in my head. So many questions and messages to answer. Am I doing enough?
Comparison is the thief of joy. So no comparing for me. Just knowing I will produce at a pace that makes sense for me, at that time.
I know consistency is the key to success. But taking breaks are important too. And this view. These boys. So important.
So right now, I just need to take the time to do things like this after work. And see where it takes me.
Meet Rocky, my new mast cell tumor (MCT) patient.He’s adorable but his MCT is not! And he is not a straightforward case.
One size does not fit all when it comes to mast cell tumors in dogs.
The majority of MCT can be cured with surgery alone if we find them when they are small and remove them with appropriate surgical margins
But MCT can vary from dog to dog, and it can be overwhelming and confusing to try to understand these tumors
Some cannot be removed surgically due to location and size. Instead they might be a candidate for the new Stelfonta intratumoral treatment, or need radiation after surgery.
Some dogs have more than one, or many.
Some have higher grade ones that are at risk of metastasis in the future. Some MCT have already spread to the lymph nodes or internally at diagnosis. And need chemotherapy.
And some regrow back after surgery, like Rocky.
Rocky has had 2 surgeries so far since January. Even with a large surgery, this one has come back in multiple areas along the thigh. So I am starting with chemo and I would like we to add radiation too. (Too much tumor for Stelfonta right now)
But MCT are treatable tumors. That’s my job to figure that out which treatments are best for which dogs and their tumors.
I’ve made a plan for Rocky. I will monitor his response and adjust as needed. And make sure he’s living his best life, even on chemo. (Chemotherapy is well tolerates in most dogs.)
MCT are the most common malignant skin tumor in dogs, accounting for about 15 to 20% of skin tumors.
🔬Early detection and aspirates before treatment are so important for successful outcomes. #whywaitaspirate
📹 Want to see and learn more about MCT including Stelfonta? Check out my new vlogs # 128 & 130 on my YouTube channel.
If you would have asked me a year agohow I feel about speaking in a cavernous room with all the attendees spread out, I would tell you that’s not how a speaker likes it.
We like the attendees packed in and the room full.
Well #VMX2021 was the first major conference post pandemic, and I could not have been happier with my talks.
It was beyond amazing to be speaking live, in-person and, well, properly dressed. (Most of my virtual talks last year were in leggings on the bottom and fancy on top)
Speaking is my happy place. I love to educate about cancer and provide practical tips for diagnosing and treatment.
Thank you to VolitionRx for sponsoring my breakfast session where I talked about what’s new in cancer including the NuQ Veterinary Cancer Screening Test
And I was so thrilled for the last minute invitation to join Dr Pamela Jones and share my Stelfonta cases at the lunch session for Virbac
A highlight of the trip was seeing all my friends and colleagues after 15 months and, as I warned them, giving inappropriately long hugs. I was making up for lost time.
A huge shout out to everyone at NAVC for putting on this event and everyone who attended.
I’m so excited for future events this year including Fetch Dvm360 Kansas City and San Diego WVC Viticus Group - Animal Health in Vegas and Connexity in Arizona in September. Where are you attending? Please come say hello. I’m fully vaccinated & hugs are welcome