Editor’s note: The University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital is a sponsor of Chambanamoms.com.
Each year, more than 1,000 pets with cancer receive treatment at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Thanks to a generous gift from the Khan family, we are growing our capacity for cancer care by adding faculty and nursing positions. A new hospital wing devoted to cancer care will open in early 2026.
Though a cancer diagnosis can feel devastating, our oncology experts have many ways to support pets with cancer and their owners. These include providing care at our hospital, consulting with primary care veterinarians on cases, training future practitioners and specialists, and making research discoveries that improve care worldwide.
Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Your pet’s veterinarian may suspect cancer when you report a concern or based on a finding in a routine examination. The clinical pathology service in the university’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory provides cancer typing and staging for veterinary clinics throughout Illinois and beyond. Often, your pet may be treated surgically or in some cases with chemotherapy at your regular clinic. The university’s oncology service consults on cases managed by primary care veterinarians to guide the treatment.
Sometimes, patients are referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital when the diagnosis or treatment options require a specialist. Our doctors and nurses work hard to support owners in understanding their pet’s condition and in making the decision that is best for their family.
Advanced Cancer Care at the University of Illinois
At our hospital, your pet’s treatment options may parallel those for a person with cancer. In addition to surgery by boarded specialists and chemotherapy, we have offered state-of-the-art radiation therapy with a linear accelerator since 2019.
Because we are part of the University of Illinois, we also engage in basic and clinical research into cancer biology, seeking new ways to combat cancer. Your pet may qualify for a clinical trial involving a promising new treatment, often one not available elsewhere. Clinical trials typically cover a portion of the cost of the care.
The stories of Marley, Dezzi, and Sarabi showcase the range of cancer care at our hospital.
An Impact Beyond Our Community
Through leadership in veterinary cancer professional organizations and the education of future veterinarians and oncology specialists, the oncologists at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital contribute to the care of thousands of pets worldwide.
Through collaborations with biomedical researchers and biotechnology companies, novel cancer treatments developed at the University of Illinois and proven effective in pets with cancer have gone on to clinical trials in people with cancer.
Learn more about the work of cancer researcher Dr. Tim Fan by watching “Shelter Me: The Cancer Pioneers,” a PBS documentary that will air at 9 p.m. on June 9 on WILL-TV.
Marley was diagnosed with cancer in a rear leg in January 2020. His leg was amputated and he underwent chemotherapy. Here he is in March 2025 at his yearly recheck, 5 years cancer free!
“He’s the happiest tripod you would ever meet!” says Tara, a longtime veterinary technician in the hospital’s oncology service. “He loves to swim in the river by his parents’ house.”
Dezzi had a tumor in his mouth that turned out to be malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of canine cancer.
At the end of May 2021, Dezzi enrolled in a clinical trial for immunotherapy involving a dose of radiation followed by a course of injections of cytokines designed to remain within the tumor microenvironment.
Dezzi continues to thrive today. He appears in a national documentary that will air on WILL-TV on June 9 at 9 p.m., called “Shelter Me: The Cancer Pioneers.” In the photo, which is taken from the documentary, Dezzi is getting a hug from clinical trials coordinator Rebecca Kamerer while Dr. Tim Fan, cancer researcher, looks on.
In January 2020, Sarabi was diagnosed with intestinal disease involving lymphocytes invading into the intestinal lining, a disease treated with oral chemotherapy. Over the past 5 years, Sarabi has done well with her treatment, according to Dr. Laura Garrett, even as she has developed age-related problems, such as hyperthyroidism.
At 16 years old, she is at last becoming more mellow at her vet visits! Maybe it helps that her owner coaches her on rides to the clinic: “Dr. Garrett is our friend. Please don’t bite her!”
A new wing, extending south from the Small Animal Clinic and expected to open in early 2026, will exclusively serve our cancer patients. Follow the building’s progress with our construction cam at vetmed.illinois.edu/hospital/oncology-expansion-updates/