| Sumario: | Purpose To evaluate ethical and moral perceptions of undergraduate radiation therapy students concerning treatment of cancer in companion animals (ie, pets) and whether curriculum interventions can change those perceptions. Methods Ten students (2 men and 8 women, age range 18-32 years) were enrolled in a clinical internship course at a 4-year college program. Students completed a Defining Issues Test 2 to assess moral reasoning, a presurvey to gather demographic information and attitudes toward treating animals, 3 interventional videos with reflective questions about radiation therapy for treating companion animals, and a postsurvey to evaluate any effect the videos had on ethical decision making. Data were analyzed using Google Forms, Qualtrics, and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics. Results Eight of 10 participants completed the Defining Issues Test 2 (response rate, 80%), whereas all 10 participants completed the remaining survey materials. More than half of the students (7 of 10) owned family companion animals such as dogs or cats. Almost all (9 of 10) felt radiation therapy was a viable treatment option for companion animals, with cost identified as the major limiting factor. For the interventional videos, 80% of participants (8 of 10) reported wanting to treat companion animals regardless of limiting factors such as cost, repeated anesthesia, and low survival rate. In the postsurvey, 5 of 10 students said that cost was viewed as prohibitive compared with 7 of 10 students who said that cost was prohibitive in the presurvey (50% vs 70%, respectively). Discussion Although collected from a small sample size, the current study findings provide insight into the ethical perceptions of radiation therapy students as well as their commitment to future treatment of animals. Cost and adverse effects were the most notable perceived barriers to treatment; however, the students all agreed that it was essential to adhere to the companion animal owner's wishes concerning treatment. Conclusion Through experiential learning, student therapists can develop higher moral reasoning and emotional acuity in performing radiation therapy for treatment of animals with cancer.
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