• Veterinary oncologists help dogs with cancer cope with symptoms of the disease.sadness image by Adam Zdebel from Fotolia.com
  
  The field of veterinary oncology has advanced rapidly over the past several years, as research has expanded treatments options for animals with cancer. Although many cancers still can't be cured, veterinary oncologists can provide treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, that can prolong an animal's survival time and ensure that it maintains a certain quality of life. Aside from the personal satisfaction of allowing pet owners to share more time with their beloved companions, the benefits of being a veterinary oncologist range from the practical, such as possessing a secure job, to the profound, such as advancing treatment options for both animals and humans.
  
  

Job Security

• The field of veterinary oncology is a dynamic and highly in-demand specialty area which has gained increasing support from the veterinary community at large over the last decade. According to an article on the OncoLink Vet website, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine approved veterinary oncology as a board-certified discipline in the mid-1990s, also approving radiation oncology as a specialty within the field. Continued medical advancements in the field of veterinary oncology, coupled with the increasing prevalence of cancer in animals, makes this a highly attractive career option with room for advancement and heightened job security. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an increasing number of pet owners are expected to take advantage of nontraditional veterinary services, such as cancer treatment, clear through to the year 2018.
  
  

Helping Both Pets and People

• According to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, certain naturally-occurring cancers that afflict dogs "closely mimic that same form of cancer in humans." Veterinary oncologists, by studying and treating animals, are also able to apply some of their findings to treating cancers in humans as well, doubling the benefits of their efforts and research. And, because cancer tends to spread more rapidly in animals than in humans, clinical trials conducted on dogs, for example, yield results quickly, which may help shape human cancer research, according to the Land of PureGold Foundation's website.
  
  

Patient Quality of Life

• People become veterinarians because they want to help maintain the health and happiness of animals. In providing treatments for pets with cancer, veterinary oncologists are able to do just that, prolonging life while also ensuring that it is as comfortable as possible. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments help animals maintain their bond with their human family members because veterinary oncologists are skilled in providing treatments while keeping side effects to a minimum. If these treatments are not an option due to an advanced stage malignancy, the veterinary oncologist can provide palliative treatment to help maintain quality of life for as long as possible.