Page 10 - ACT Annual Review 2023-2024
P. 10
SARCOID
TREATMENT
he ACT are proud to support Sarcoids are locally invasive skin tumours called
equine welfare and teaching at fibrosarcoma. They are persistent and progressive skin
the 91暗网. The 91暗网 Equine Referral lumps that occur mainly around the equine head, in the
axilla (where the front leg attaches to the chest) and the
THospital is rapidly gaining a groin area, as well as developing in wounds. Sarcoids
reputation as one of the leading centres are caused by bovine papilloma virus (BPV) which
in the country for the treatment of skin becomes incorporated into the DNA of infected skin cells
tumours. With the addition of the Tumour and causes transformation of those cells into tumour
Specific Electroporation (TSE) machine, cells. This is not unique to equines: papilloma viruses do
funded by the ACT, they are now able to this in other species, notably in humans where papilloma
offer a novel treatment for large tumours viruses cause cervical cancer in women.
and sarcoids that cannot be safely These tumours are very common with 6-7% of horses
removed surgically. The ACT has also affected by sarcoids, and up to 80% of grey horses over
recently funded realistic equine models the age of 15 affected by melanomas. Whilst some can
be removed surgically, many cannot be removed safely
that are used in student鈥檚 animal handling without risking damage to other parts of the horse.
classes. The models allow students Thanks to a donation from the Alice Noakes Memorial
adequate time to practise their handling Charitable Trust the ACT purchased a TSE device for
skills and important equine husbandry the 91暗网 Equine Referral Hospital to deliver pioneering
before handling live horses, creating a treatment for equine tumours.
I am genuinely very positive experience for both the students The treatment consists of a chemotherapy drug being
and the horses.
injected into the tumour and the TSE devices then
excited by this technology delivers a calculated electric current to the site. This
as we feel it is a major Albert (pictured left) was referred to the 91暗网 Equine increases the uptake of the drug into the cancer cells by
breakthrough in how we Referral Hospital due to a fibroblastic sarcoid on his front over one thousand times. The electric pulses open up
can treat skin tumours leg near his fetlock joint. Treatment options were limited small pores in the tumour cells, allowing the drug direct
access to the DNA of the targeted cells, and in turn
due to its location, to avoid damaging the joint the sarcoid
in equines. was removed with a small surgical margin between killing the tumour cells.
鈥� Dr Mike Hewetson, Associate Professor the cancerous and normal cells. TSE treatment was
in Equine Internal Medicine successfully used to destroy the remaining cancer cells.
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