A Q&A with Yike Bing DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), MRCVS Medical Oncology Specialist
Yike Bing received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degrees from Cornell University (New York, USA). To further training in oncology, she then completed a rotating internship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by a medical oncology residency at Cornell University. She became a board-certified medical oncologist in 2021 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
After working briefly at Cornell University as a Medical Oncology Instructor, Yike moved to the UK in 2020 with her ginger cat. She worked for another large referral hospital before joining Pride Veterinary Referrals in September 2024.
Sharing the belief of a multimodal treatment approach towards cancer, she guides dogs and cats with cancer and their families through various medical options, including chemotherapy, target therapy, immunotherapy, palliative and supportive care. While she tailors treatment towards individual patients and their families, the emphasis is always on patient quality of life and client support.
- Have you now settled into your role?
Yes, definitely. With my oncology nurse Kim’s support, the oncology service is now fully up and running. We’re getting busier every day. I really love the team here at Pride Veterinary Referrals. Everyone is supportive, friendly and eager to learn.
- What do you enjoy most about oncology?
I might be biased, but in oncology, we work with the sweetest dogs and cats and the best, most dedicated families. We meet people often during difficult times, and it’s truly a privilege to provide them with information, support and sometimes a bit of hope and more time with their beloved pets. It’s rare in the referral settings that we can build meaningful, long-lasting relationships with our clients for months to years to come. We celebrate the remissions and cancer-free anniversaries together, and I share their heartbreaks when the cancer comes back or is not responding to treatment. This very special relationship is the most rewarding part of my job.
- How do you foster a collaborative and supportive team environment?
Our oncology department is made up of small team, and I rely heavily on my fabulous team members to ensure consistent and high-quality care is delivered daily. I always try to be helpful, kind, open-minded, and flexible at work. It’s important to me that everyone feels informed, empowered and in control of their workflow, regardless of their roles. I also value feedback from my colleagues - anything that can make their work more enjoyable or our service better.
- Oncology cases can often be complex and challenging, do you have any advice for first opinion vets?
It’s true that many clients find it difficult to decide what to do for their pets. But approaching an oncology case is just like any other discipline. There is a systematic approach to determining the appropriate diagnostic tests and the best course of treatment. The two main questions we answer first for any case are - what type of cancer are we treating and has it spread? Once you have this information, you should get a sense of the cancer behaviour, prognosis, and whether the patient needs local therapy, systemic therapy or both. The first time to treat a cancer is your best chance of cure. So, in an ideal situation, we would like to know this information before removing a mass.
- Your biggest achievement to date?
I am very grateful for where I am today and what I’ve achieved in my career so far. Looking back, I remember being a shy little girl from Beijing trying to get into Cornell Vet School, all the way to moving from the US to the UK in the middle of the pandemic. Every step of the journey was special. Thank you to all the people who helped me and believed in me.
- How do you like to unwind after a busy day at work?
Just like everyone else, I would imagine. After work, I enjoy spending time with my family, my ginger cat, cooking, TV, etc. On my days off, I like spending time in nature and visiting historic houses or art galleries.
- Is there a memorable case that particularly stands out?
Every case is unique in its own way, and every pet I’ve treated left me something special to remember and learn from. In particular, I tend to remember the cases when the family chose to take a massive risk, and their courage paid back in the end. On the other hand, I can never forget the times when we’ve done everything possible but still lost the battle to cancer very quickly. It can be such an emotional roller-coaster for everyone. But regardless of the outcome, I want my clients and I to have no regrets.
- Are there any new notable advancements in oncology?
Just like human oncology, there are always new, exciting discoveries in the field of veterinary oncology as well. For example, Tanovea became available in the UK a few years ago, which is a new chemo drug for treatment of lymphoma in dogs. Researchers also recently discovered that combining Palladia with high dose losartan improves outcome for dogs with metastatic osteosarcoma. Gilvetmab, the first ever checkpoint inhibitor for dogs is now available in the US for melanoma and mast cell tumours, which hopefully will be available to us in the UK soon. We also look forward to new oncology diagnostics to become available here, such as genetic testing of the tumours, liquid biopsy, prognostic panel and chemosensitivity assays.
- What are your future plans for the oncology department?
I would like to grow the service to be able to accommodate more patients and appointments, which will also hopefully improve our client service. I would love our service to play a bigger role in training our interns, residents and vet students. I’m also really looking forward to giving CPD talks to the referring veterinary surgeons of our community.
For further information on oncology at Pride Veterinary Referrals, please visit HERE.
Should you require advice on a particular case or you wish to refer a patient, please get in touch via telephone 01332 548911, email referrals@prideveterinarycentre.co.uk or refer online.