By Molly Daly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is hosting a free lectureon  Saturday morning called “Understanding Cancer and Cancer Treatments in Dogs and Cats.”

“The most important thing they’ll take away is an increased awareness of what cancer is, what the obvious signs are, how to identify it early, and what options they have if their pet does have cancer.”

The lecture, which starts at 10am, will cover the signs of cancer, the importance of early intervention, and treatment options.

Dr. Nicola Mason says treatments may include surgery, chemo, radiation — and a fourth modality, immunotherapy.

“That really describes using the body’s immune system to try and go after the cancer the pet has, to target it specifically and kill it,” he explains.  “People who attend the lecture can certainly look into and decide whether they want to enroll their pets into these novel therapeutic trials.”

Dr. Mason says veterinarians have one goal when they’re treating pets for cancer: “to provide a good quality of life during that time, so that neither the dog nor the owner knows that the pet is sick.”

Although the lecture is free, registration is required by calling 215-898-1480, or e-mailing Michelle Brooks at mibrooks@vet.upenn.edu.  Attendees are asked to leave their pets at home.