New Cancer Treatment Center For Pets Opens In Malvern
By Hadas Kuznits
MALVERN, Pa. (CBS) -- The first comprehensive veterinary cancer center in the nation has opened in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
Joseph Wakim is Co-founder and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Cancer Center.
"We have but all disciplines from medical oncology to dynastic imaging to surgical oncology to radiation oncology and integrated medicine all under one roof in a free standing building next to a major hospital," Wakim says. "This is the way of the future. We're able to treat and advance the treatment of cancer in small animals, cats and dogs."
Wakim expects the hospital's use of cutting edge technology to treat cancer in cats and dogs to attract many pet owners.
"We anticipate people flying from different parts of the country to come to seek treatment here," he says, "because we have deployed all healing technology, very advanced technology from the radiation to the CT scans to the diagnostic imaging to the laser and surgeries."
The connection between pets and their owners is deep and he saw many owners going to great lengths to try to cure their pets' disease.
"Statistics say one out of three dogs or cats will have cancer in their lifetime and that is a huge number.," Wakim says. "And there has not been any center to address just that special cancer need."
Wakim says people are very dedicated to their pets.
"When a pet has cancer, usually it's always part of the family," he says. "Usually that animal has helped one family member to go through a major illness or comfort that family member, and if they can get a year, two years, three years, whatever they can get, they'll do."