Animal Cancer Care Specialists

If you are reading this, I am sorry. Cancer for a loved one especially a pet is such a hard discovery.

We had our wonderful little Tivi who was diagnosed with Lymphoma at 13 months old. Just a baby and he got so sick. It was so hard to find him care at first. He was our baby and we wanted to fight it no matter what. The incredible staff at ACCS took on our case.

We had a fighter, and I don't mean just a cancer fighter. The staff was incredibly patient with him in his treatment. Always focused on the best care and his comfort. We tried everything and we had some lovely periods where he was healthy and happy. Unfortunately, in our case it didn't last, and we said goodbye last Sep 1st.

Humanity doesn't do enough for our furry friends, it's true. We dont have all the tools and drugs to cure these debilitating and lethal illnesses. I hope that we do one day, but I know we did everything we could for our little guy. I know that Dr. Romansik did and suggested everything he could to save our loved one. I wish more than anything that Tivi was still with us, but I have great comfort in that he was in the best care he could have been in.

It's taken me much longer than I wanted to, to write this. I have had lots of time to process and reflect on our journery and I wanted to make sure I shared our experience with Dr. Romansik and his staff. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this practice is and how compassionate they are. When it was our last appointment, as we knew our fight was over, they shared kind words and advice on how to say goodbye and keep him comfortable. You cannot ask for more.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, you gave us a precious couple months with our special baby boy, Tivi.

Absolutely wonderful people. The entire team there was compassionate, kind, and took the time to explain everything happening. They gave our cat a bunch of extra time after his cancer diagnosis, and in the end, he passed from something unrelated. Dr. Romansik knows his stuff, we never felt pressured to do one thing over another in terms of treatment. Thank you all very much!

Animal Cancer Care,
It took me a few months before I could write out a personal thank you. Our golden girl, Gracie was unfortunately diagnosed with Lymphoma in December of 2022. She was 5 years young and she was my soul dog. My husband & I’s hearts were completely shattered.

After doing loads of research, we decided to book an appointment with Dr. Romansik and his team. They were able to get us seen quickly which meant a lot to us. From the minute we walked in, we were treated with kindness and honesty. After completing 1/2 of the chemotherapy CHOP protocol, we decided to stop treatment in March, due to Gracie having some adverse reactions.

After completing half of the protocol, we were given 7 extra GOOD and HAPPY months with our girl. We cherished those final 7 months together with extra treats, drive-thru donuts, ball, swimming, running and excess amounts of love. She was even able to meet our first child who was born at the end of January 2023.

We miss our Gracie girl every single day. She was truly the most special dog. With tears in my eyes, I want to thank Dr. Romansik and his team for treating us with kindness and giving us some extra time with our girl. My husband and I couldn’t recommend this place enough.

- Sarah & TJ Urbanik

The entire team at Animal Cancer Care Specialists is incredible. We were referred here by our vet in March 2022 when our Great Pyrenees McKinley was diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma. Prior to our consultation we were extremely anxious and had feared the worst for our sweet girl. From the very first phone call to book our in office visit to every single interaction from that point on, our expectations were exceeded. Not only did they always make us feel valued and listened to, they were always extremely thorough when discussing our treatment options and their responsiveness and eagerness to help was next-level. While I understand each pet responds differently to treatment, we were blessed with 1 year and 3 months of time with our girl post-diagnosis and I credit Dr. Romansik, Dr. Sapienza, and the entire staff for this. I also wanted to personally thank the incredible Lori and Nicole for helping us on countless occasions and always being there to answer my questions in record time. While McKinley has sadly passed now, I wanted to sincerely thank the entire staff at ACCS for giving us so much extra time with our best friend.

Reading a negative review of Animal Cancer Care is frustrating and sad to me. I can understand the emotion of finding out you have a sick pet that needs immediate care and an immediate course of action. I am in this situation myself with my Bichon Frise Sophie. This is a very busy office that does it best to accommodate all the inquiries they can, but there are not alot of Oncologists in our area. I was recommended by my local vet that I should go to Portsmouth NH, after calling a couple times, I was told it would be about 5 weeks for a consultation. I couldn't wait that long as I was told my Sophie may not be with me in 4 to 6 weeks, due to Lymphoma.

I found Animal Cancer Care, called Laurie who requested my records. I got my records to them immediately and I received a call the same day, they said to bring her in the very next day to see Dr Romansik.
I was grateful and nervous at the same time as I had no.idea what her prognosis would be and if there was a viable course of action.

As soon as I met Dr Romansik, I felt at ease. He explained everything to me and my options. I chose CHOP ( 12 treatments )
and my Sophie received her first treatment that day . We completed CHOP in early Jan 2023, and Sophie has had two Ultrasounds since then and I am grateful to say she is in remission with no signs of Lymphoma at this time

This office , in my opinion is the Gold Standard , should you find yourself in the unfortunate position as we all are having to visit for treatments

Dr Romansik, Dr Sapienza , Laurie, Nicole and the whole staff is caring and amazing. I make new friends and learn about how other pets are doing while I am there, As we share our journeys with giving our pets their best chances and best quality of life.

So to those who haven't had the best experience with Animal Cancer Care, I am
sorry for that and wish you could have experienced what I and so many others have. This practice is amazing.

Marc Shaffer and Sophie
Merrimac MA

Our dog Sasha was recently diagnosed with lymphoma at our local vet. We were told at that time there was a long waiting list to see a cancer specialist. We reached out to the small number of oncologist in the area and Animal Cancer Care was the only one that could get us an appointment. From day 1 we were totally impressed with the professionalism, compassion and friendly atmosphere of the staff. The doctor on day 1 gave Sasha a thorough exam and met with my wife and I to discuss our options as far as treatments. We did not feel pressured or made to feel we had to rush into making a decision in which treatment route to take. We are a family of modest means and the cost of giving Sasha the best chance of extending her life,let me be blunt,is not a cheap venture but we put our love for Sasha above all the costs. We chose the CHOP protocol which is a very aggressive chemo regiment, over a 3 month period. We are currently in our 4th week and have already seen an improvement. Though we were told up front that there is no cure and that this is only going to extend her life we feel it is worth it. Sasha is family. I can’t understand how anyone could give a bad review of the facility. Maybe emotions play a part when people are told the truth and can’t handle the bad news, I don’t know but what I do know is that this place gets 5 stars from all of us!!

06/02/23
Update:

Sadly Sasha has succumbed to the Cancer she had fought so bravely against for the past 9 months. She was much to young and sweet to deserve such a fate.
We as a family would love to extend our thanks to the Animal Cancer Care Team for giving Sasha 9 months of a quality of life that she wouldn’t have had without their care. We will be forever thankful.

Our boy Max was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. Dr. Romansik met with us after reviewing Max's records and discussed in great detail all of our treatment options and the likely prognosis as well as cost and everything related to treatment and what we could expect going forward, as well as patiently answering all of our questions. We proceeded with a treatment protocol and have been extremely happy with our experiences there. Max has had outstanding care from both the veterinarians and the vet nurses. He is a very shy boy and can be anxious with strangers but he is treated so well by the entire staff they have been able to build up a level of trust with him that we honestly didn't expect to see. He even offers kisses to Deb when she comes to say hi. It's a big relief to see that our boy is not scared or stressed while he is with them getting his treatments. Either Dr. Romansik or Dr. Deb come out to talk to us about how Max is doing and answer our questions, and we have never once felt rushed or ignored or confused as to what was going on. We always feel seen and heard there and have never once been treated with anything below top notch care by the entire team, front desk, nurses and doctors all. Today was Max's "graduation", his last treatment for this round of chemo and they gifted him a bandana with congratulations hand written on it and a box of cookies which we weren't expecting and thought was very sweet and Max of course loved. We are very thankful for the team as ACCS and even though Max's lymphoma is an extremely upsetting diagnosis, we are very grateful to have more time with him thanks to the amazing team of professionals in our corner helping him to fight his cancer, which would have already taken him from us if it weren't for them.

I took my heart dog to Dr.Romansik upon recommendation by my regular veterinarian after diagnosis of an extremely aggressive tumor that was highly likely to recur, regardless of treatment. She had a very poor outlook but we wanted to at least try treatment.

Dr.Romansik is obviously extremely intelligent and educated, and he was compassionate with me and kind with my dog. The technicians were all wonderful, without exception. I believe that pursuing chemotherapy gave us time we may not have had otherwise to process her prognosis and say our goodbyes. It was important to Dr.Romansik that Ziva was feeling as close to normal as possible during treatment, and she remained bright and active until she was no longer responding to treatment. Although we wish things were different, it was not the quality of the care that we received that cut her time short.

I was lucky enough to have a successful surgery completed on my 9 year old Golden/ Malamute. I can’t say how pleased I was to hear back from ACCS after they reviewed the pathology to tell me they did not need to see him, no further treatment was recommended- but they took time to walk me through everything and shared information without my ever walking through their doors. They cared and shared information freely - which was very appreciated. I hope to never need their services- but if ever in a position I did, they would be my first choice!

After we had found out our Dixie was diagnosed with multiple myeloma our vet recommended Animal Cancer Care. Dr. Romansik was so great and explained all of our options. The first round of treatment gave us 7 months of remission and unfortunately the cancer had come back. We have just finished another round of treatments and fingers crossed we can get another 7 months of remission. The staff here is fantastic and always welcomed us and helped us with any issues that came up.

When my dog Ben was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020, we chose ACCS to care for him. The first visit with Dr. Romansik gave me a lot of hope for my dog's prognosis. We chose to go forward with CHOP protocol chemotherapy. My dog lived almost 2 years in remission before relapse, and only recently passed due to age-related issues. While his length of remission was above average from what I understand, I know the quality of his care, the kindness of the staff who worked with him, and the expertise of his doctor was a huge factor in his response to treatment. I felt like he was visiting his friends every time we went to the office. Dr. Romansik always took the time to explain the details of the cancer treatment and all of the available options, and he and his staff were all very caring and helpful with my dog especially as he started to experience mobility issues as he aged. I'm extremely thankful we ended up with ACCS, and I recommend them highly!

I can't overemphasize how wonderuful and caring Dr. Romansik and his entire team were. Our dog developed recurrent bowel obstructions requiring multiple surgeries at Angell animal center in Boston before a diagnosis of bowel cancer was finally made. Despite having care there for many years they told us their oncology team couldn't accommodate us, and so we searched for another provider.

Dr. Romansik was exactly what we were looking for: a thoughtful, caring vet who weighed the pros and cons of any possible treatment decision. While we ended up not pursuing chemo as her cancer was too advanced, being able to discuss the pros and cons of the decision, and helping with medicines to treat her symptoms, helped put our minds at easy at a very difficult time.

Beyond the fact that these amazing people have literally saved my dog’s life, Dr. Romansik and all of the staff at ACCS are incredible! Dr. Romansik does an excellent job of educating pet owners about the specific type of cancer a pet has, the treatment options, and what can be expected from the treatment. All of the staff at ACCS, especially ALL of the techs, are very knowledgeable, caring, patient, and clearly love animals. Communication between myself and ACCS, whether via phone or email, has been great and they are quick to get back to me when I have had questions or concerns between appointments. We have even received follow-up calls just to see how she is feeling. ACCS has also done an excellent job communicating with our primary vet and they always send over all notes and lab results shortly after we go in to ACCS for an appointment. When we first came to ACCS to consult with Dr. Romansik about treatment options and next steps, it was a huge relief to be able to do any follow-up testing/imaging (blood tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, etc.) “in-house”, which made things so much simpler and less stressful, though they also gave us the option to have labs done through our primary vet (I appreciated having the choice). All of this was also able to happen either that same day or within the next week (this is huge given how long the waits can be these days for vet appointments/services!). Since it can be very overwhelming and stressful to have a pet with cancer and it can be a lot of information to take in and keep track of, I also appreciate that at the end of each visit Dr. Romansik (and often the techs as well) review the plan/next steps for treatment. The invoices that ACCS provides have been perfect when it comes to submitting these to insurance for reimbursement because all of the codes, services listed, etc. are on there and we have had no issues with getting insurance to approve the claims.

I had an initial consultation today and left feeling so much better! The staff were great about getting me in quickly and Dr. Romansik spent plenty of time with me to explain what was happening and to patiently answer my list of questions. I feel like it is a place where my cat and I will be well cared for. We are just beginning our cancer journey but I feel lucky that my initial outlook is not nearly as grim as I had been anticipating. I will review again once my cat has his surgery and we begin the follow up process. But I have very high expectations based on my first appointment today.

Dr. Romansik treated our dog for lymphoma for two years. He was always open about lab work, gave us all our options and never pressured us into anything. He was always patient while we debated treatment/cost/effectiveness. His diligent care allowed us to have two more great years we would have otherwise not had. I hope you never need him, but if you do, you'd be hard pressed to find someone better.

Dr. Romansik and the entire Animal Cancer Care team are the most competent and compassionate providers you will find. They treated my corgi for lymphoma for two and a half years. Dr. Romansik was always ready to answer my many questions and explained our options every step of the way. He provided sound medical advice and is an expert in his field. It was truly a team effort to provide my dog with the best care, from Lori at the front desk to each and every outstanding oncology tech. I really feel like we went through this journey together. My dog actually loved going there and that is a testament to the wonderful treatment he received; he was never afraid. In addition to the care he received, I feel like the environment was a lot less stressful than other veterinary practices. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Romansik and his team. If you are looking for the very best care for your beloved pet, look no further.

Very professional vet practice. I work in healthcare and thought wow this office really has it together. Front desk, vet techs and doctor all very kind and friendly. The practice communicated with my vet office to get information. Dr. Romansik spent a lot of time with us to help us better understand our dogs test results and ways to move forward into treatment if that was what we desired for our doggo. Really appreciated everybody’s time. thank you!

This is a very overdue post. My dog was diagnosed with a type of cancer that can be aggressive several years ago. Dr. Romansik was very helpful and clear when he explained to us what the options were. My dog had to have surgery and then we came back to ACC for chemotherapy and then surveillance. I'm very grateful for Dr. Romansik's expertise!

Dr. Romansik and his staff have been excellent thus far in treating my kitty for his cancer diagnosis. They are all very attentive, kind, and very patient with all my questions and concerns! The care my kitty has been receiving here has been top notch and I highly recommend them!

The dedicated and experienced staff will guide your pet along his journey and make you feel at ease. Dr. Romansik is courteous and knowledgeable, answering all our questions and treating our pet with respect. I would recommend their capable team to anyone in a similar situation. One thing, GET PET INSURANCE.

Be well, and good luck to you and your pet.