An Veterinary Oncologist's Unique Approach to Treating an Aggressive Cancer

When Omelette, Belinda’s beloved seven-year-old Shih Tzu, began vomiting on and off for about a week, she initially thought it was just a minor issue. “I had actually booked him in to the vet but canceled the night before as he had eaten that day and seemed okay,” Belinda shared. “But the next morning, he was sick again, so we took him in right away.” It was a decision that ultimately led to a life-changing diagnosis.

After undergoing surgery to remove a growth in his intestine, the results came back, and Omelette was diagnosed with Intestinal Adenocarcinoma, a rare cancer located in the small intestine. "To find out it was an aggressive intestinal cancer was completely heartbreaking," Belinda said. To complicate matters further, Omelette also had severe epilepsy, making any form of anesthesia risky. "He had 10 inches of stitches up his belly, which was quite confronting,” she added. Despite the initial shock, Belinda and her family weren’t ready to give up on Omelette.

Belinda sought out the expertise of Board-Certified Veterinary Oncologist, Joseph Impellizeri and his oncology team at Veterinary Oncology Services in New York, who offered a new approach—combining traditional chemotherapy with advanced immunotherapy. Dr. Impellizeri explained, "While chemotherapy attacks rapidly dividing cells, immunotherapy is more target-specific, with minimal potential for side effects and a more direct approach to battling the intestinal cancer."

This treatment option gave Belinda hope, offering her the chance to fight for her dog’s life while maintaining his quality of life.

Despite the challenges, Omelette’s response was remarkable. Dr. Impellizeri noted, "This is a rare cancer, and most dogs do not typically respond after diagnosis. So this is an amazing response and a much better approach to oncology treatments by simply combining a standard of care with an advanced targeted immunotherapy against the cancer."

"While chemotherapy attacks rapidly dividing cells, immunotherapy is more target-specific, with minimal potential for side effects and a more direct approach to battling the cancer."

With regular follow-ups, including lab work and imaging, Omelette’s cancer showed signs of remission, and his condition remained stable. “It was crucial, as evaluating the patient’s status on a consistent and regular basis allowed us to justify continuance of the initially elected therapy," Dr. Impellizeri added.

Belinda was relieved to see her dog’s health improve. She shared, “We are cautiously optimistic and for now, we are grateful and taking each day as it comes with extra love and cuddles for Omelette, especially as we didn't think he would even get through the initial surgery.”

Today, Omelette is doing well, living an active life, and enjoying his time with Belinda. Dr. Impellizeri remained optimistic about the future of veterinary oncology, saying, "As an oncology team, we strive to improve upon treatment options and translate that to increases in overall survival time. The addition of new, targeted therapies directly against cancer is an overall improvement to the armamentarium of options that currently exist."

Belinda is incredibly grateful for the support of Dr. Impellizeri and the oncology team. She shares that Omelette is doing better than he ever has been. When asked what advice she would give to other pet owners facing similar diagnoses, she firmly stated, “There is always hope!