Feline Vaccine-Associated Sarcomas: Myth or Reality?

Fibrosarcomas are relatively common in the cat.  It is of utmost importance in cats to differentiate vaccine or injection site-associated sarcoma (VAS) from non-vaccine-associated sarcoma as the prognosis and treatments are vastly different.  Emphasis will be placed on the history, etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of cats with VAS.

After participating in this webinar, attendees will:

• Develop an appreciation for the history/timeline and development of feline vaccine-associated and non-vaccine-associated sarcomas.
• Develop an appreciation for the studies in veterinary literature for and against an adjuvant association with feline vaccine-associated sarcoma.
• Better understand and utilize the latest diagnostics for cats with vaccine-associated sarcoma.
• Better understand and utilize the latest treatments for cats with vaccine-associated sarcoma.

Speaker Bio

Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM/Oncology

Dr. Bergman is the Director of Clinical Studies for VCA.  He is the principal veterinary investigator for the recently fully licensed canine melanoma vaccine (Oncept). Dr. Bergman is an adjunct faculty member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Prior to Dr. Bergman joining VCA, he served as the Chief Medical Officer for BrightHeart Veterinary Centers from July 2007 to August 2011, and from 1999 – June 2007 he was the head of the Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Center at AMC.  After finishing veterinary school from Colorado State in 1990, he was an intern at Kansas State (1990-1991) and returned to CSU for his medical oncology residency (1991-1994) and then completed a PhD Fellowship in human cancer biology from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (1994-1999).  He was previously Chair of the ACVIM Board of Regents and President of the Veterinary Cancer Society.

RACE Credits 

This program 249-34550 is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 1.00 CE Credits (1.00 max) being available to any one veterinarian: and/or 1.00 Veterinary Technician CE Credits (1.00 max). This RACE approval is for the subject matter categorie(s) of: Scientific using the delivery method(s) of: Interactive-Distance. This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements.

Disclosure Statement

This webinar is sponsored by Merial. Speakers are expected to disclose conflict of interests whenever a conflict arises relating to the topics of this educational webinar.

Dr. Bergman is an employee of VCA and discloses the following related to the presentation:

• Grants/Research contracts: Zoetis & Merial
• Direct and/or through trial design/implementation: Zoetis, BIVI, Merial, Abbott, Elanco, Virbac, Aratana, MBF Therapeutics, Regeneus, AB Science, Bayer, Oasmia, Royal Canin, Ceva, Purina, Kindred Bio, Merck AH, Plumbline Life Sciences
• Investments: Stock Ownership - Aratana, Zoetis, Heska; Minority Royalty Stream – Merial; Oncept® & Xenogeneic DNA Patent with MSKCC