UP and SAACA launch oncology centre for animal treatment and research

Abstract

The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science and the Southern Africa Animal Cancer Association (SAACA) have teamed up to create an oncology centre for clinical cases and research in animals. At the end of 2020, founder and CEO of SAACA Munnik Marais approached the faculty with a proposal to join forces. Having spent many years fundraising for the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), Marais wanted to create awareness of cancer in animals and encourage treatment and research. To achieve this goal, SAACA was created. Dr Paolo Pazzi, Section Head of Small Animal Medicine at UP, heads the research aspect of the oncology centre. “The goal of this collaboration is to increase the faculty’s capacity to treat cancer in animals,” he said. “This will result in an increase in research in this field. It will allow for earlier diagnosis of cancer and a wider spectrum of effective treatment options for animals.” Dr Anri Celliers and Dr Varaidzo Mukorera, lecturers in Small Animal Internal Medicine, and Professor Gerhard Steenkamp, Section Head of Small Animal Surgery, head up the clinical side of the oncology centre, which is based at the faculty’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH). While there are specialist hospitals in South Africa that treat cancer in animals, OVAH is the only one with on-site specialist clinical pathologists/cytologists, and medical and surgical clinicians that work as a team to diagnose and treat cancers. Most patients are cats and dogs with cancer.