AMA meeting: Overlap seen in human, animal medicine

Physicians hope closer ties between the disciplines will improve global health.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. July 16, 2007.

Chicago -- As part of providing care for cancer patients, neuropsychiatrist Carol Tavani, MD, walks the wards of the Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, Del., with a registered therapy dog. Patients have benefited from the canine's presence. But when the animal developed cancer, it benefited from the same technology -- interventional radiology, thoracic surgery and chemotherapy -- used to treat human carcinomas.

"[The dog] is now a cancer survivor seeing cancer patients," Dr. Tavani said.

This example is one of the many connections between human and animal medical care that improve the health of both. In recognition of this intersection and in hope of gaining even more from it, the AMA adopted policy at its June meeting committing to work with the American Veterinary Medical Assn. and calling for more collaboration.

"We can accomplish more to improve health worldwide than we can alone," said AVMA President Roger K. Mahr, DVM.

In addition, the AMA will support joint educational programs between veterinary and human medical schools and cross-species disease surveillance. The organization also endorses the development of diagnostic methods, medicines and vaccines to control diseases that jump species.