Pet Cancer Options
Evidence-Based Treatment Guide
Transparency & methodology
About the Data
Pet Cancer Options is only as useful as the evidence behind it. This page explains where the data comes from, how it is graded, what its limitations are, and how each entry is reviewed before it reaches you.
Section 1
How the data was assembled
Primary sources
Every diagnosis entry is built from peer-reviewed veterinary oncology literature. Sources include the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, and other indexed journals. Where a protocol or survival statistic is drawn from a specific publication, a DOI or PMID is recorded in the dataset so the primary source can be consulted directly.
Reference linkage
Where a DOI or PMID is available it is stored against the individual protocol or statistic — not just the diagnosis entry as a whole. This means that different statistics within the same diagnosis page may cite different publications, reflecting the true distribution of evidence across the literature.
What is not included
Manufacturer-sponsored data presented only in conference abstracts without subsequent peer review, social media case reports, and drug-company white papers are excluded. Entries are only added when a citable reference can be assigned.
Section 2
Evidence tier system
Each treatment protocol and survival statistic in the dataset is assigned one of four evidence tiers. The tier reflects the strength and directness of the supporting literature — not a judgement about whether a treatment is worthwhile. A lower tier often simply means that rigorous prospective data does not yet exist, which is common in veterinary oncology for rare tumour types.
Criteria: Prospective clinical study with n ≥ 20 and a verifiable, citable reference (DOI or PMID).
What this means for survival statistics: Survival and response figures carry the highest weight. When a protocol has Strong evidence, the statistics shown are the most reliable basis for setting outcome expectations with your veterinary oncologist.
Criteria: Smaller cohort (n < 20) or retrospective case series with a published reference.
What this means for survival statistics: Figures are directionally useful but may shift when larger prospective studies are completed. Treat the numbers as informed estimates rather than established benchmarks.
Criteria: Evidence drawn from a related context — an analogous tumour type, a different species, or pharmacological inference from human oncology.
What this means for survival statistics: Useful for framing conversations where direct veterinary evidence is absent, but the degree of uncertainty is substantial. Species-specific pharmacokinetics and tumour biology mean that extrapolated figures can diverge significantly from eventual direct evidence.
Criteria: Limited to case reports, single-case anecdotes, or expert opinion without supporting cohort data.
What this means for survival statistics: Any statistics shown should be treated as illustrative only. The Limited label signals that a modality is in reported use — not that it has a demonstrated outcome profile. Prognosis discussions based on these entries require particular care.
Why this matters: Survival statistics in veterinary oncology carry uncertainty that is not always communicated clearly. A median survival time derived from 12 retrospective cases is materially less reliable than one from a 60-patient prospective trial. The tier system makes that difference visible, so you can calibrate how much weight to place on any individual figure before discussing it with your veterinary team.
Section 3
Known limitations
No dataset is perfect. The following limitations are documented here plainly, so you can account for them when interpreting the information.
Cost estimates may understate radiation and surgical fees
Radiation therapy and complex referral surgery involve facility overheads, anaesthesia, specialist fees, and imaging costs that vary considerably by region and institution. Published cost ranges are used where available, but figures shown are commonly exceeded at major referral centres and academic hospitals. Always request a formal estimate from the treating institution before financial planning.
Clinical trial recruiting status changes frequently
Trial availability is time-sensitive. A study listed as recruiting may have reached its enrolment target by the time you read this, or new trials may have opened since the dataset was compiled. Always contact the institution or principal investigator directly to confirm current status before making any decisions based on trial eligibility.
Evidence depth varies across entries
Veterinary oncology is a relatively young specialty and some tumour types — particularly rare histologies — have a limited published evidence base. The evidence tier badge on each diagnosis page makes this variation visible. Entries with Indirect or Limited tiers are included because having some structured information is more useful than none, provided the limitations are clearly stated.
Dataset version 2.0.0 — compiled March 24, 2026
This page reflects data from dataset version 2.0.0. The veterinary oncology literature evolves continuously. Newer prospective trials, revised dosing protocols, and updated staging criteria may not be reflected until the next dataset release. Check the version badge in the site header to identify the current build.
Section 4
Editorial review process
Before a diagnosis entry is marked production-ready, it passes through a structured review checklist. Entries that fail any check are returned for revision; they are not published with unresolved flags.
- Drug dose verification. All chemotherapy doses, schedules, and administration routes are cross-referenced against a primary published source (DOI or PMID). Doses that appear only in secondary summaries or textbook adaptations are flagged for direct source confirmation before publication.
- Reference verification. Every cited DOI or PMID is resolved and the abstract reviewed to confirm that the referenced statistic or protocol is genuinely supported by that publication. Misattributed or broken citations are corrected before an entry is approved.
- Evidence tier validation. The assigned tier is reviewed against the actual study design, sample size, and methodology described in the cited paper. Retrospective studies are not promoted to Strong regardless of sample size; prospective studies with n < 20 are capped at Moderate.
- Species-specific safety review. Pharmacological profiles, known toxicities, and species-specific contraindications are reviewed for each drug listed. Extrapolations from human or other-species data are explicitly noted and reflected in the evidence tier assignment.
- Cost range plausibility check. Cost estimates are compared against published ranges and known regional benchmarks. Outliers are reviewed, and where variance is high, a range is shown rather than a point estimate to better reflect real-world variability.
- Clinical trial data currency. Trial entries are verified against the originating institution at the time of dataset compilation. Because status changes after compilation cannot be detected automatically, trial entries carry an explicit advisory to verify directly with the institution.
Section 5
Who is responsible for this data
The Pet Cancer Options dataset is assembled and reviewed by a small team with specialist clinical and research backgrounds:
Board-certified veterinary oncologists
All protocol entries, evidence tier assignments, and drug safety reviews are reviewed by diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology) or equivalent specialist qualification. Reviewers hold active clinical appointments.
Veterinary clinical researchers
Literature retrieval, reference verification, and evidence tier grading are led by veterinary clinical researchers with direct experience in study design and systematic review methodology. This role provides an independent check on tier assignments made during clinical review.
Editorial independence. Pet Cancer Options has no commercial relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers, veterinary hospital groups, or medical device companies. Reviewer decisions on evidence tier assignment and protocol inclusion are made without reference to commercial interests. Treatment options are listed in alphabetical or evidence-tier order, not by sponsor arrangement.
Found an error or a missing reference?
If you notice a statistic, dose, or reference that looks incorrect, please flag it. Corrections are reviewed and, if confirmed, applied in the next dataset release.