About Me
Dr. Kendra Hearon is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and an ACVS Fellow of Surgical Oncology. She graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 and completed a small animal rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan in 2003. Dr. Hearon then went on to do a surgical internship at the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center. She returned to New York for her surgical residency at the Animal Specialty Center. During her residency, Dr. Hearon was accepted into the surgical oncology fellowship program at Colorado State University. This is a yearlong position within the prestigious Animal Cancer Center during which time Dr. Hearon worked exclusively with cancer patients. Upon completion of her fellowship, Dr. Hearon returned home, to Philadelphia, where she helped start Comprehensive Cancer Care at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Hearon joined MVA in 2017 and we’re thrilled to have her join our oncology team.
From the Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology (VSSO): What is a Surgical Oncologist
A surgical oncologist is a trained surgeon who has pursued advanced training in the treatment of oncology. In most cases, this advanced training comes in the form of a post-residency fellowship aimed at training the surgeon in other oncologic treatment modalities such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well as state-of-the-art surgical procedures. Surgical Oncology has recently been recognized by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) as the first approved fellowship program and 35 individuals were recognized as ACVS Founding Fellows in Surgical Oncology. Surgery is the oldest treatment for cancer and, as a single modality, cures more animals and people with cancer than any other treatment.
A similar situation exists in human medicine. There is an increasing effort for surgical oncology to be recognized as a separate specialty and with good reason. The surgeon has a central role in the prevention, diagnosis, and definitive treatment of neoplastic diseases, and palliation and rehabilitation of cancer patients.
