What's New?

ANNOUNCING NEW ADVANCES IN CANCER THERAPY!

Dr. Chelsea Tripp, DVM, DACVIM (O) is excited to bring a new cancer treatment option, electrochemotherapy, to Animal Medical Center of Seattle (AMCS). Electrochemotherapy is also known as electropermeabilization. This is a method of cancer treatment that uses electric pulses to induce a reorganization of the cell membrane. Used in conjunction with traditional chemotherapy (either locally or intravenously), electrochemotherapy allows chemotherapeutic drugs to enter the cells to a very high concentration.

Traditional chemotherapy is widely used for a broad range of cancers. In many instances, the response rates are low because the drug cannot reach its intracellular site of action. The cell membrane is often the barrier that reduces the effectiveness by restricting drug access. With electrochemotherapy, electric pulses are utilized to cause temporary and reversible permeability of cell membranes to augment the delivery of chemotherapy. The process requires heavy sedation but is typically well tolerated. Many tumors can be treated in 1-3 treatment sessions.

Electrochemotherapy has received considerable attention in the last 15 years as an emerging way of delivering chemotherapy agents to different tumor types. Available more readily in Europe, AMCS is the first animal hospital with this capability in the Western United States!

Tumors must be superficial or have an easily accessed tumor bed to successfully use Electrochemotherapy. The following are examples of tumor types which are amenable to electrochemotherapy.

Examples of where electrochemotherapy may benefit patients:

• Fibrosarcoma in the mouth or eyelid.

• Melanoma in the mouth, eyelid or paw

• Squamous cell carcinoma in mouth, eyelid or paw.

• Soft tissue sarcomas where surgical treatment would necessitate amputation.

• Feline vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma after surgery

• Low to intermediate grade mast cell tumors on distal limb and face.

• Perianal tumors

• Operation site margins where there is a significant risk of remaining tumor tissue.

We are excited to offer this new therapy! Please inquire with our Oncology department for more information on electrochemotherapy or if you think your pet would benefit from this new therapy.

On July 26, 2010, Animal Medical Center of Seattle welcomed Dr. Chelsea Tripp as part of our ever-growing staff to better serve our referring veterinarians, our clients, and their pets. We are excited to have Dr. Tripp as part of our team. 

Chelsea Tripp, DVM, MS
Practice Limited to Oncology

Dr. Tripp received her veterinary degree from the University of Missouri and completed an internship at Animal Cancer Specialists here in Seattle. She is returning home after completing her three-year residency in medical oncology at Washington State University. She also completed a master’s degree at Washington State University looking at the methylation status of lymphoma in dogs. Dr. Tripp’s areas of interest include client education, oncologic emergencies, clinical pathology, palliative care, and improving the quality of life for end-stage cancer patients. The focus of her approach to the practice of oncology is compassionate care and strengthening the human-animal bond. She is a Paul Harris Fellow and active member of the Alderwood-Terrace Rotary. She has many personal interests including traveling, musical theater, baking, and wine tasting. She is the proud parent of three dogs; two Miniature Schnauzers, Nanook and Kuma, and an Australian Labradoodle named Clover.