Menu
£205.00 Ex VAT
Start: 1st September 2025
CPD: 10 hours (UK), 10 points (AUS, NZ) over 4 / 6 weeks
Level: Intermediate / Advanced
This course is aimed at nurses working in general practice / referral practice
Of the numerous cancers that affect our canine companions, lymphoma, mast cell tumours, oral melanoma and osteosarcoma are the most frequently diagnosed in the veterinary clinic.
This 4 week course dedicates a week per subject, where we explore the risk factors associated with each of these neoplasms and investigate the methods used to acquire a diagnosis. Treatment options will be discussed with particular detail placed on medical and surgical management techniques that can be applied to general practice and specialist nursing alike.
After completing this online course, participants will have a greater knowledge of these common diseases, enabling understanding of the prognosis and treatment goals; ultimately broadening communication and practical skills in the subject area.
This course is particularly suitable for nurses who have experience in oncology and are looking to broaden their knowledge. For nurses in general practice, the course ‘Introduction to Oncology’ may be more suitable.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes and/or lymphoid tissue, which is present in many locations within the body, hence making the presentation of these cases typical or atypical depending on location. Specialist tests have been developed to categorise this cancer and treatment is determined by these findings.
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
Canine osteosarcoma of the weight bearing bones often manifests in pain and/or lameness in affected patients. Once a diagnosis has been determined, the behaviour of this neoplasm is predictable, yet still individual to the animal.
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
Oral melanoma is the most common form of cancer of the mouth in dogs; there are various forms and the behaviour of this neoplasm is sometimes unpredictable. On week three we discuss the presentation, investigation and treatment options available for these patients and look at some practices which are novel to veterinary medicine.
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
Mast cell tumours are a form of skin cancer in dogs, which depending on their grade and affected site, can have an impact on neoplastic behaviour and prognosis. Many patients go on to live disease-free lives, others require continuous treatment and monitoring.
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
The course will be fully tutored by Nicola Read, and will consist of 10 hours of CPD given in various formats, including tutorials, tasks, case studies, forum discussions and quizzes. This course is tutored for 4 weeks, followed by a two week extension of untutored ‘catch up’ time, before the course officially ends.
All delegates will then have unlimited lifetime access to the learning material for future reference
Nicola Read MSc (Veterinary Nursing), PgCert (Oncology Nursing), PgCert (Vet Ed), DipAVN (Med), AFHEA, RVN
Head Oncology Nurse, Royal Veterinary College
Nicola qualified in 2000 from a well-established small animal general practice in North West London where she also gained the D32/33 Assessor qualification. She spent a year at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2001 to gain experience in a charity based organisation and then moved to the Queen Mother Hospital, Royal Veterinary College in 2002, in order to study for the RCVS Advanced diploma. In June 2008 she became the Head Medicine Nurse at the Royal Veterinary College, then Head Oncology Nurse in 2015 after a departmental split. She recently earned her MSc in Veterinary Nursing and PgC in Veterinary Education. Her clinical interests are endocrinology, gastroenterology, oncology immune-mediated disease and palliative care.
This online course is worth 10 hours of CPD.
A certificate will be available from the ‘My Courses’ section, for you to download and print, once you have completed the course. A permanent record of your total CPD hours will also be recorded in your account section.
The Australian Veterinary Nurse and Technician (AVNAT) Regulatory Council has allocated 10 AVNAT CPD points to this continuing education activity.
This course is also recognised by the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association (NZVNA) as providing 10 CPD points.
Upon purchase you will be registered to attend the course, for 4 weeks from the start date. The course will consist of various interactive tasks and lessons, including quizzes, case studies, forum discussions and further reading material.
The course is fully tutored, with new material will be provided each Monday morning, but the onus will be on the individual delegate to ensure that all tasks are fully complete. The certificate will only be issued at the end of the course when all tasks have been accomplished. Fewer CPD hours will be awarded at the the end of the course if there are unfinished tasks or there has been no contribution to the discussion forum, for example
The course is fully flexible, and there are no weekly ‘deadlines’ – the lessons and tasks may be completed whenever is convenient for each delegate, and any live lessons with be recorded and made available later that same day. Furthermore, all the course material will be available for a further 2 weeks, to allow delegates the opportunity to catch up on missed lessons and tasks, or to take the opportunity to delve further into the suggested reading texts. Please note however, that the course will not be tutored by the speaker during these final two weeks, but the time spent will count towards your CPD hours
After 6 weeks, the course will be complete and there will be no further opportunity to gain the certificate or CPD hours, however, you will have unlimited lifetime access to the tutorials, further reading and quizzes for future reference. If you make any personal notes during the course using the ‘take notes’ app, these will be saved, along with your certificate and CPD record for permanent access in ‘My CPD’
This course has been listed as ‘Intermediate / Advanced’ level
All of our courses are aimed at veterinary nurses in general practice, but everyone who works in the veterinary profession is very welcome to attend, whether you are a clinical receptionist, veterinary surgeon, student nurse or have been a qualified nurse for over 20 years!
The courses are not formally assessed for skill level, so the following CPD levels are just a rough guide to help you decide if a course may be more or less suitable:
Introduction
– maybe most suitable for qualified nurses in general practice approaching a new topic or looking for a refresher course
Intermediate
– maybe most suitable for qualified nurses in general practice along with referral / specialist nurses looking for a refresher course
Advanced
– maybe most suitable for referral / specialist nurses and highly experienced qualified nurses in general practice
You will earn 205 Pawprint Points (£20.50 website credit) when you purchase this course
Our loyalty scheme rewards you with 10% in website credit to spend on future courses. Choose pay with Pawprint Points during checkout.
Please ask your practice manager or accounts department to visit the website, register an account in their own name, and during checkout, complete the ‘delegate name’ and ‘delegate email’ sections with your personal details. We will then register you a personal account on your behalf, and transfer the course booking over to your new personal account. We will of course email you all the information you need to access this new account and your CPD course.
If you need an invoice and no other payment method is available to you, then please email [email protected] with all the following information:
Please note the following:
Excel CPD specialises in providing online CPD for veterinary nurses and technicians all over the globe. Our courses are also fully approved by AVNAT for our nursing colleagues in Australia and New Zealand.
©2009-2024 Excel CPD | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy
Kayla-Anne K –
I think this course was very informative and easy to follow. As a new nurse to the oncology sector i found it quick interesting to learn about some of the different cancers seen and the way each disease is formed, as well as treatment options. The further reading materials have been a good resource to be able to look back on later to further gain knowledge and an understanding from other points of view. The quizzes as well were also based on the topics and what was covered in each section. Great course
Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – AUS)
Leanne S –
I really enjoyed this course. With my own dog having 2 of these cancers , oral Melanoma and osteosarcoma I now understand the background of cancer and why we do certain things. Since Bruce’s diagnosis I have taken a keen interest in cancer. Brilliant course
Rated: Intermediate level