Animal Cancer Care Unit

Murdoch University is home to the first sole-use animal chemotherapy ward in Australia. The Unit, set up using funds from the Veterinary Trust, has been designed to allow safe use of chemotherapeutic agents in animals. The Unit has been designed and built to comply with a set of Australian Standards for such facilities. Critical features include a special cabinet for drug preparation, a sophisticated air conditioning system, and special filters to ensure that air exhausted from the Unit does not contaminate the environment. This equipment is required because the drugs used for chemotherapy in both humans and animals can be toxic to cells if accidentally inhaled or in contact with skin.

The team at the Unit is headed by Veterinary Consultant Dr Ken Wyatt FACVSc (pictured opposite with “Chloe”), and includes two highly trained nurses. The staff are available to assess cancer in small animal patients after referral from the animals regular veterinarian. Treatment options depend on the type and stage of the cancer, but include surgery and chemotherapy. Particularly good results have been obtained in the treatment of ‘canine mastocytoma”, a cancer until recently thought to be untreatable.

In addition, the Murdoch Animal Cancer Care Unit will enable Murdoch University veterinary students to obtain instruction in the use of treatment methods for pets with cancer. It also provides a modern facility in which research can be conducted into the diagnosis and treatment of the various forms of cancer that occur in animals.

Murdoch University Veterinary Trust

Animal Cancer Care Unit