Speakers

Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM, is a Veterinary Oncologist certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and is internationally recognized as Dr. Sue Cancer Vet®. Her career has been dedicated to veterinary oncology, raising awareness about the early diagnosis of cancer, and sharing knowledge with animal health professionals and pet guardians. In 2019, she was honored by the Western Veterinary Conference as Small Animal Continuing Educator of the Year, and she is also widely recognized as a speaker, educator, and Key Opinion Leader in veterinary oncology. She graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998, after completing a bachelor’s degree in Biology, magna cum laude, at Tufts University. She then completed a rotating internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City between 1998 and 1999, followed by a residency in Medical Oncology at the same institution from 2001 to 2003. In July 2004, she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the specialty of Medical Oncology. Since October 2022, she has been working as a Staff Oncologist at Guardian Veterinary Specialists in Brewster, New York, where she focuses on advanced cancer treatments and long‑term patient care in a specialized referral and emergency center. From February 2019 to September 2022, she was a Staff Oncologist at the VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, Connecticut, providing specialized oncologic care and using advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques. Previously, she worked at the Veterinary Cancer Center in Norwalk and led oncology services at the Animal Specialty and Emergency Center in Wappingers Falls and at the Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers. At the latter, she created and directed the oncology service and oversaw patients undergoing radiation therapy with the CyberKnife® stereotactic radiotherapy system, at the first veterinary clinic in the United States to offer this technology. She is the creator and leader of the “See Something Do Something: Why Wait? Aspirate!®” program, developed in partnership with VCA to establish new standards for the early detection and treatment of cancer in companion animals. The initiative promotes a proactive approach to evaluating cutaneous and subcutaneous masses in dogs and cats, advocating fine‑needle aspiration cytology of any mass approximately the size of a pea or that persists for more than one month. The program has helped increase awareness among veterinarians and pet guardians, leading to earlier diagnoses and improved clinical outcomes. Throughout her career, she has served on various advisory boards and professional committees. She is a member of the AAHA Oncology Task Force and the board of Veterinarians International, sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of Stellfonta, and has collaborated with initiatives such as the Take CHARGE Canine Cancer Registry, the Canelavia‑CA1 Advisory Board, the Veterinary Cancer Society Marketing Committee, the Scientific Advisory Executive Committee of the Puppy Up/2 Million Dogs Foundation, and the ACVIM Marketing and Communications Committee, where she represented the Oncology specialty. She has extensive experience as a speaker at national and international conferences, including VMX, the Western Veterinary Conference, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, the London Vet Show, the New York Vet Show, the ACVIM Forum, the Fetch Conference, and multiple veterinary meetings across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway, Portugal, and Romania. She has also spoken at events such as the Hills Global Symposium, the VETS Congress, the Veterinary Business Management Association, and several state and regional veterinary associations. Her work has been recognized with several awards, including the Western Veterinary Conference Small Animal Continuing Educator of the Year in 2019, the VCA Woof Pack Award for Public Relations Achievement in 2017, the VCA Woof Pack Award for Exceptional Doctor Performance in 2016, the Commack High School Alumni of Distinction award in 2011, the Rising Stars 40 Under 40 award from the Business Council of Westchester, also in 2011, and the Connie E. Leifer Memorial Award in 2000 for research conducted at the Animal Medical Center. She is co‑author of the “Dog Cancer Survival Guide,” a reference book on comprehensive cancer treatment in dogs. She has also published peer‑reviewed scientific articles on stereotactic radiation therapy, soft tissue sarcomas, prognostic markers, and quantitative analysis of the tumor microenvironment, as well as book chapters in veterinary medicine reference works on epulides and acute tumor lysis syndrome. She is a member of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the Veterinary Cancer Society, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, and the Westchester Rockland Veterinary Medical Association.