Hello, everyone. September is Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. These cancers affect many families and often magnify existing stressors such as financial strain, transportation challenges, and the demands of caregiving.
During this month, it’s worth remembering that for many, pets are more than companions—they are lifelines. McGhee et al.’s (2022) study in BMC Palliative Care identified four themes: a protective relationship (comfort/emotional support), positive behavioural change (routine, activity, purpose), facilitating meaningful social connections, and loss-orientated cognitions (stress and guilt when illness limits pet care). McGhee et al. (2022) also suggest including pets in advance care planning to maximize benefits and mitigate challenges.
Here’s where a One Health lens deepens our understanding: the social determinants that impact human cancer care—financial strain, transportation difficulties, limited social support—also influence whether pets in those households remain healthy. When either human or pet health is compromised, the whole home is affected.
Awareness months like this remind us that behind every statistic is a household of love, courage, and often quiet struggle. Supporting those with gynecologic cancers also means supporting the pets who accompany them on the journey.
Have you seen effective programs that bridge oncology care with pet support? Which models—pet foster/boarding during treatment, shared transport, small grants, or advance-care-planning prompts—help promote the health of patients and their pets? We’d love to hear your perspectives.
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Reference
McGhee, W. R. G., Dempster, M., & Graham-Wisener, L. (2022). The role of companion animals in advanced cancer: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. BMC Palliative Care, 21, 160. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-022-01050-y
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Katy Carpenter
Editorial Operations Manager
Program for Pet Health Equity
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