The Southern Africa Animal Cancer Association

TEXT: MUNNIK MARAIS

CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT CANCER

The South African Animal Cancer Association (SAACA) was established to cater for the needs of animals with cancer. Cancer is commonly seen as a more human illness, but it is prevalent in animals and needs more of our attention.

SAACA is the first organisation in Africa that focuses on cancer in animals. SAACA’s main objectives include the following: • Working with Onderstepoort as a research institute to conduct research into animals with cancer. SAACA is very excited to have joined hands with the

Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria to do this work. • Educating the public on the topic of cancer in animals.

CANCER IN ANIMALS

Our pets suffer from many of the same cancers that impact people. Dogs and cats have been living with humans for centuries, sharing our homes and lifestyles—even scraps from our tables. Our pets also share many of the same cancers that develop in humans, possibly because of our shared environment.

According to the Veterinary Cancer Society, cancer is the leading cause of death in 47% of dogs (especially dogs over age ten) and 32% of cats. Dogs get

For more information on SAACA or to donate to the organisation, visit its website www.saaca.org.za or email bark@saaca.org.za

cancer at about the same rate as humans, while cats have fewer cancers. There are over 100 types of cancers in dogs. Mast cell tumours are the most common. The most common cancers in cats are leukaemia and lymphoma. Most times, cancer is found in ageing animals, but some breeds have higher cancer rates than others.

There are many types of cancer, and each behaves differently. Some forms of cancer have the ability to spread to other sites in the body, which may be far from the original site. This occurs because these cancer cells can enter the blood or lymph vessels and be carried to other organs. When cancer has spread to other areas of the body, it is said to have metastasised.

“Early identification of cancer plays a vital role in the improvement of patient outcomes,” Dr Pazzi explained. “Owners should monitor their dogs and cats for any obvious lumps or bumps that may appear on the skin or in lymph nodes. We advise all pet owners to take their pets to a veterinarian or OVAH for evaluation if they are at all concerned.”

THEIR WORK

At the end of 2020, the founder and CEO of SAACA, Munnik Marais, approached the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science 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.

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 Paul van Dam, Director of OVAH, said he was pleased with the collaboration with SAACA, which “will lead to benefits for the community and the co-creation of knowledge that can contribute to treating oncological conditions among animals”.

DID YOU KNOW?

THE BEATLES SONG ‘A DAY IN THE LIFE’ HAS A FREQUENCY ONLY DOGS CAN HEAR. PAUL MCCARTNEY HAS SAID THAT HE ADDED A FREQUENCY ONLY DOGS CAN HEAR TO THE END OF THE BEATLES SONG ‘A DAY IN THE LIFE’, SO WATCH YOUR DOG WHEN YOU PLAY THE SONG!