A new immunotherapy for companion dogs with advanced-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has been shown to improve survival while maintaining quality of life, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study resulted from a collaboration between The University of Texas MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital in Houston and Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in College Station.
Using a T-cell therapy developed at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, veterinarians from Texas A&M saw a nearly four-fold improvement in tumor-free survival compared to dogs who received only chemotherapy. The median tumor-free survival for the Texas-based dogs increased by close to nine months, which is roughly equivalent to seven years in a human life span.
NHL is one of the most common cancers in dogs, according to Texas A&M veterinarians. Although standard chemotherapy can achieve remission, it is rarely a curative treatment, with the two-year survival rate remaining less than 20 percent. When investigators from MD Anderson and Texas A&M met, they explored the feasibility of administering T cells to improve survival.
"We followed the same rigid standards that we practice for human clinical trials at MD Anderson to ensure the safety of each dog," said Laurence Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., professor and section chief of cell therapy at the children's hospital and senior investigator on the study. "While these pets are benefiting from the T-cell infusions, this collaboration with Texas A&M is a driving force for undertaking similar clinical trials in humans."
To accomplish the T-cell therapy, researchers took a sample of peripheral blood from each dog entering the study. Then the T cells were separated and expanded in Cooper's laboratory over several weeks. As the T cells grew at MD Anderson, the canines received a chemotherapy regimen at Texas A&M similar to what humans with NHL receive, a combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and prednisone. The T cells were then given back intravenously after the chemotherapy to improve the anti-tumor effects.
"The therapy was well tolerated in all dogs who received the infusions. We saw fewer side effects than with traditional chemotherapy, and the pet owners were please with how their dogs tolerated the protocol," said Heather Wilson-Robles, DVM, DACVIM(Oncology), assistant professor at Texas A&M. "The owners were also very pleased to be supporting research that may further enhance cancer therapy in humans and pets with cancer."
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Saturday, June 20, 2009
BioCurex Inc. has developed OncoPet(tm), a blood test to be used for cancer detection in dogs.
RICHMOND, British Columbia, June 17, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCurex Inc. (OTCBB:BOCX) today announced that it has developed OncoPet(tm), a version of its RECAF(tm) blood test to be used for cancer detection in dogs.
The new test performance matches that of its human counterpart: In a study including 116 dogs with cancer and 150 control dogs, the test detected 85% of the animals with a variety of cancers at the standard 95% specificity level (i.e. 5% false positives).
Consultations with the pertinent Government agencies in the USA and Canada indicate that neither the "homebrew" tests for veterinary use, nor the production facilities require regulatory approval.
Given the absence of regulatory delays as well as the fact that the technology is ready for use, the Company expects to take OncoPet(tm) to market within the next few months and to that effect, it has already registered the www.oncopet.net domain.
Marketing research indicates that the fastest and most profitable approach to commercialization of this product is to offer the testing service directly to veterinarians, to be done in conjunction with routine blood work. In British Columbia over 120,000 blood tests are carried out on pets every year. In addition, BioCurex shall consider licensing these tests to large veterinary diagnostic companies on a non-exclusive basis. The use of RECAF for veterinary purposes is not included in the current licensing agreements with Abbott Laboratories and Inverness Medical Innovations.
There are approximately 75 million dogs in the United States - that is a dog for every 4 people - and on average their owners spend $219 per year on veterinary visits(1). Overall, 4 out of 1,000 dogs get cancer every year(2). "It is the number one cause of death among dogs and cats in the United States, Europe, and Japan," says Dr. Greg Ogilvie, a professor at Colorado State University and a world expert in veterinary oncology. More than 50% of all dogs ultimately die of cancer, and some breeds, like golden retrievers and boxers, have even higher cancer rates. In fact, pets are more likely to get cancer during their lifetimes than their owners(3).
Statistics reveal that almost all pet owners feel a strong human-animal bond. About 49.7% of survey respondents consider pets to be part of the family, and 48.2% consider pets to be companions4. Between 1996 and 2006 the number of dog-owning households that spent $1,000 or more per year on visits to the veterinarian quadrupled - from 2.2% to 8.4%4. During 2006, dogs averaged 1.5 visits to the veterinarian(4).
Dr. Moro stated: "OncoPet(tm) is our response to generate revenue as quickly as possible. It is now ready for use and it requires no approvals that would excessively delay its launching. Marketing in North America is straight forward and the veterinarians we consulted are enthusiastic about the potential the test has to offer. Other markets such as Europe and Japan may be accessed via licensing or distribution agreements. OncoPet(tm) is now ready for use with dogs, but we anticipate it will also be as effective for cats, which approximately doubles the market size.
On June 3rd, Pfizer announced that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first cancer drug, named Palladia(tm), made specifically to treat cancer in dogs(5). The ability to diagnose cancer with OncoPet(tm) and treat it with Palladia(tm) presents an intriguing synergy."
Moro added: "Finally, it is of paramount importance to keep in mind that this RECAF test for companion animals is not a substitution for our RECAF tests to be used in human patients but rather an addition aimed to accelerate revenue generation while the human tests get to market."
About BioCurex:
BioCurex, Inc. is a biotechnology company that is developing products based on patented/proprietary technology in the areas of cancer diagnosis, imaging and therapy. The technology identifies a cancer marker known as RECAF(tm), which is found on malignant cells from a variety of cancer types but is absent in most normal or benign cells.
BioCurex has signed licensing agreements for its cancer detection blood tests with Abbott Laboratories and with Inverness Medical Innovations.
The cancer marker RECAF(tm) has emerged as a potential biomarker that may be useful in the development of new cancer diagnostics tests. Preliminary studies from the investigators at BioCurex have reported a high level of clinical sensitivity and specificity for RECAF in many of the most common cancers, including prostate, breast, colorectal, lung and others.
To read more about the Company, please visit the News section in our web site (www.biocurex.com).
The new test performance matches that of its human counterpart: In a study including 116 dogs with cancer and 150 control dogs, the test detected 85% of the animals with a variety of cancers at the standard 95% specificity level (i.e. 5% false positives).
Consultations with the pertinent Government agencies in the USA and Canada indicate that neither the "homebrew" tests for veterinary use, nor the production facilities require regulatory approval.
Given the absence of regulatory delays as well as the fact that the technology is ready for use, the Company expects to take OncoPet(tm) to market within the next few months and to that effect, it has already registered the www.oncopet.net domain.
Marketing research indicates that the fastest and most profitable approach to commercialization of this product is to offer the testing service directly to veterinarians, to be done in conjunction with routine blood work. In British Columbia over 120,000 blood tests are carried out on pets every year. In addition, BioCurex shall consider licensing these tests to large veterinary diagnostic companies on a non-exclusive basis. The use of RECAF for veterinary purposes is not included in the current licensing agreements with Abbott Laboratories and Inverness Medical Innovations.
There are approximately 75 million dogs in the United States - that is a dog for every 4 people - and on average their owners spend $219 per year on veterinary visits(1). Overall, 4 out of 1,000 dogs get cancer every year(2). "It is the number one cause of death among dogs and cats in the United States, Europe, and Japan," says Dr. Greg Ogilvie, a professor at Colorado State University and a world expert in veterinary oncology. More than 50% of all dogs ultimately die of cancer, and some breeds, like golden retrievers and boxers, have even higher cancer rates. In fact, pets are more likely to get cancer during their lifetimes than their owners(3).
Statistics reveal that almost all pet owners feel a strong human-animal bond. About 49.7% of survey respondents consider pets to be part of the family, and 48.2% consider pets to be companions4. Between 1996 and 2006 the number of dog-owning households that spent $1,000 or more per year on visits to the veterinarian quadrupled - from 2.2% to 8.4%4. During 2006, dogs averaged 1.5 visits to the veterinarian(4).
Dr. Moro stated: "OncoPet(tm) is our response to generate revenue as quickly as possible. It is now ready for use and it requires no approvals that would excessively delay its launching. Marketing in North America is straight forward and the veterinarians we consulted are enthusiastic about the potential the test has to offer. Other markets such as Europe and Japan may be accessed via licensing or distribution agreements. OncoPet(tm) is now ready for use with dogs, but we anticipate it will also be as effective for cats, which approximately doubles the market size.
On June 3rd, Pfizer announced that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first cancer drug, named Palladia(tm), made specifically to treat cancer in dogs(5). The ability to diagnose cancer with OncoPet(tm) and treat it with Palladia(tm) presents an intriguing synergy."
Moro added: "Finally, it is of paramount importance to keep in mind that this RECAF test for companion animals is not a substitution for our RECAF tests to be used in human patients but rather an addition aimed to accelerate revenue generation while the human tests get to market."
About BioCurex:
BioCurex, Inc. is a biotechnology company that is developing products based on patented/proprietary technology in the areas of cancer diagnosis, imaging and therapy. The technology identifies a cancer marker known as RECAF(tm), which is found on malignant cells from a variety of cancer types but is absent in most normal or benign cells.
BioCurex has signed licensing agreements for its cancer detection blood tests with Abbott Laboratories and with Inverness Medical Innovations.
The cancer marker RECAF(tm) has emerged as a potential biomarker that may be useful in the development of new cancer diagnostics tests. Preliminary studies from the investigators at BioCurex have reported a high level of clinical sensitivity and specificity for RECAF in many of the most common cancers, including prostate, breast, colorectal, lung and others.
To read more about the Company, please visit the News section in our web site (www.biocurex.com).
Thursday, June 4, 2009
FDA approves cancer treatment for dogs
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug made specifically to treat cancer in dogs.
Until now, all cancer drugs used in veterinary medicine were developed for use in humans and weren't specifically approved for animals. Federal law allows vets to administer cancer medicines and other human treatments under controlled circumstances.
The new drug, Palladia, manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health Inc., has been approved to treat a type of cancer that accounts for about one in five cases of canine skin tumors.
Canine cutaneous mast cell tumors — the cancer in question — can appear small and insignificant when dogs have them, but while some are easily removed, others can lead to life-threatening disease, according to the FDA.
"This cancer drug approval for dogs is an important step forward for veterinary medicine," Bernadette Dunham, director of FDA's center for veterinary medicine, said in a statement Wednesday.
"Prior to this approval, veterinarians had to rely on human oncology drugs, without knowledge of how safe or effective they would be for dogs," Dunham said. "Today's approval offers dog owners, in consultation with their veterinarian, an option for treatment of their dog's cancer."
Palladia is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that works by killing tumor cells and cutting off blood supply to the tumor. Common side effects include diarrhea, decrease or loss of appetite, lameness, weight loss and blood in the stool.
Until now, all cancer drugs used in veterinary medicine were developed for use in humans and weren't specifically approved for animals. Federal law allows vets to administer cancer medicines and other human treatments under controlled circumstances.
The new drug, Palladia, manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health Inc., has been approved to treat a type of cancer that accounts for about one in five cases of canine skin tumors.
Canine cutaneous mast cell tumors — the cancer in question — can appear small and insignificant when dogs have them, but while some are easily removed, others can lead to life-threatening disease, according to the FDA.
"This cancer drug approval for dogs is an important step forward for veterinary medicine," Bernadette Dunham, director of FDA's center for veterinary medicine, said in a statement Wednesday.
"Prior to this approval, veterinarians had to rely on human oncology drugs, without knowledge of how safe or effective they would be for dogs," Dunham said. "Today's approval offers dog owners, in consultation with their veterinarian, an option for treatment of their dog's cancer."
Palladia is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that works by killing tumor cells and cutting off blood supply to the tumor. Common side effects include diarrhea, decrease or loss of appetite, lameness, weight loss and blood in the stool.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
'Miracle Dog' Beats Aggressive Cancer
By Kelli Miller Stacy
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 23, 2009 R
Researchers with the Cleveland Clinic have successfully treated cancer in dogs without toxic side effects or discomfort. The feat could soon lead to a powerful new strategy for treating the disease in people.
Joseph A. Bauer, PhD, with the Center for Hematology & Oncology Molecular Therapeutics at the Cleveland Clinic, detailed the extraordinary achievement at the 237th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Salt Lake City.
Bauer's team's success story begins with a "miracle dog" named Oscar, a 10-year-old male Bichon Frise stricken with an extremely aggressive form of cancer called anal sac adenocarcinoma. Chemotherapy and radiation failed to treat the dog's disease, which left him unable to walk. Oscar had about 3 months left to live.
That's when Bauer and colleagues gave him an innovative cancer-killing drug called nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl). Within two weeks, Oscar's cancer significantly improved and he was back on his feet.
'Trojan Horse' Kills Cancer
The NO-Cbl drug targets cancer cells like a biological "Trojan horse." A Trojan horse is a damage-causing substance hidden in something apparently harmless.
In this case, the drug is made of a cancer-killing substance called nitric oxide, which is attached to vitamin B12. Substances called receptors on a cell's surface attract the vitamin and help it enter the cell. Cancer cells grow abnormally fast with extra B12 receptors. NO-Cbl spots these receptors, sneaks into cancer cells, and releases the nitric oxide, which kills the cancer cells from within.
Scientists have been trying for more than 60 years to develop a successful B12-based "Trojan horse" to fight cancer, according to a news release from the American Chemical Society.
Bauer's team is reporting promising results in two other dogs without any negative side effects. Ultrasound and MRI imaging showed significant reductions in tumor size in all three dogs. Nine months of NO-Cbl treatment shrank a spinal tumor in a 6-year-old golden retriever named Buddy by 40%. Buddy, who once had nerve damage in his right hind leg, is now taking 2-mile walks. The treatment also significantly reduced inoperable thyroid cancer in a 13-year-old female Giant Schnauzer. The dog had a 77% reduction in tumor size in less than 10 weeks. The team is now treating a spinal tumor in a fourth dog, a golden retriever named Haley.
The team wants to successfully treat 10 dogs with NO-Cbl and then quickly get FDA approval to test the drug in people. Bauer points out that people and dogs are genetically similar, which may help the drug's "chance of getting through the FDA’s strict drug approval chain."
Focus on Pets, Too
Each year in the U.S., an estimated 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer. Pets with cancer afford researchers an opportunity to study cancer treatments in animals that are more genetically similar to people.
“The [National Cancer Institute] gets data on pets that are exposed to the same environmental factors their owners are," Bauer says in a news release. "They breathe the same polluted air and drink the same polluted water that you and I do every day. If you can find an agent to treat cancer that occurs in a dog with success, there is a higher likelihood that you can take that to the human population and have a much higher response rate than with mice.”
Such research also provides pets access to potential life-saving therapies, such as the case with Oscar.
“We are one of the few research groups that is offering to treat dogs with cancer that otherwise have no hope,” Bauer says. “With no other options available, most people in this situation opt to euthanize so that their pets don’t go through the pain of disease and trauma of surgery.”
Bauer, a dog owner, says his research is "one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life."
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 23, 2009 R
Researchers with the Cleveland Clinic have successfully treated cancer in dogs without toxic side effects or discomfort. The feat could soon lead to a powerful new strategy for treating the disease in people.
Joseph A. Bauer, PhD, with the Center for Hematology & Oncology Molecular Therapeutics at the Cleveland Clinic, detailed the extraordinary achievement at the 237th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Salt Lake City.
Bauer's team's success story begins with a "miracle dog" named Oscar, a 10-year-old male Bichon Frise stricken with an extremely aggressive form of cancer called anal sac adenocarcinoma. Chemotherapy and radiation failed to treat the dog's disease, which left him unable to walk. Oscar had about 3 months left to live.
That's when Bauer and colleagues gave him an innovative cancer-killing drug called nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl). Within two weeks, Oscar's cancer significantly improved and he was back on his feet.
'Trojan Horse' Kills Cancer
The NO-Cbl drug targets cancer cells like a biological "Trojan horse." A Trojan horse is a damage-causing substance hidden in something apparently harmless.
In this case, the drug is made of a cancer-killing substance called nitric oxide, which is attached to vitamin B12. Substances called receptors on a cell's surface attract the vitamin and help it enter the cell. Cancer cells grow abnormally fast with extra B12 receptors. NO-Cbl spots these receptors, sneaks into cancer cells, and releases the nitric oxide, which kills the cancer cells from within.
Scientists have been trying for more than 60 years to develop a successful B12-based "Trojan horse" to fight cancer, according to a news release from the American Chemical Society.
Bauer's team is reporting promising results in two other dogs without any negative side effects. Ultrasound and MRI imaging showed significant reductions in tumor size in all three dogs. Nine months of NO-Cbl treatment shrank a spinal tumor in a 6-year-old golden retriever named Buddy by 40%. Buddy, who once had nerve damage in his right hind leg, is now taking 2-mile walks. The treatment also significantly reduced inoperable thyroid cancer in a 13-year-old female Giant Schnauzer. The dog had a 77% reduction in tumor size in less than 10 weeks. The team is now treating a spinal tumor in a fourth dog, a golden retriever named Haley.
The team wants to successfully treat 10 dogs with NO-Cbl and then quickly get FDA approval to test the drug in people. Bauer points out that people and dogs are genetically similar, which may help the drug's "chance of getting through the FDA’s strict drug approval chain."
Focus on Pets, Too
Each year in the U.S., an estimated 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer. Pets with cancer afford researchers an opportunity to study cancer treatments in animals that are more genetically similar to people.
“The [National Cancer Institute] gets data on pets that are exposed to the same environmental factors their owners are," Bauer says in a news release. "They breathe the same polluted air and drink the same polluted water that you and I do every day. If you can find an agent to treat cancer that occurs in a dog with success, there is a higher likelihood that you can take that to the human population and have a much higher response rate than with mice.”
Such research also provides pets access to potential life-saving therapies, such as the case with Oscar.
“We are one of the few research groups that is offering to treat dogs with cancer that otherwise have no hope,” Bauer says. “With no other options available, most people in this situation opt to euthanize so that their pets don’t go through the pain of disease and trauma of surgery.”
Bauer, a dog owner, says his research is "one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life."
Sunday, March 1, 2009
One man's journey to raise awareness for canine cancer
February 26, 1:13 PM
by Jane Porricelli, Providence Dogs Examiner
For Luke Robinson, the answer to that question is quite literal - 2,400 miles. On foot.
On March 16, 2008, Robinson left Austin, TX with his two Great Pyrenees dogs, Hudson and Murphy, by his side. They are now nearly one year into - and halfway through - the hike of their lives, one that Robinson hopes will help save lives.
This hike, which Robinson is chronicling on his website, www.2dogs2000miles.org, is taking the trio from Austin to Boston, all to raise awareness for canine cancer, which took Robinson's beloved Great Pyrenees, Malcolm, in 2006.
Robinson says that Malcolm's two-year fight, "was truly a life defining experience and one that's made me re-evaluate my place in the world and what my contribution can be." This re-evaluation led to his decision to quit his job, sell his truck, put all of his belongings in storage, and plan his cross-country walk in honor of Malcolm and all those touched by cancer.
As one of those people touched by cancer myself, I am deeply humbled by Robinson's selflessness and dedication to the cause. In fact, he told ZooToo.com that since losing Malcolm he has, "devoted the rest of my life to canine cancer, to raising awareness for it."
I lost my Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, Bismarck, to an aggressive form of Gastrointestinal Lymphoma in July 2007. He wasn't even 6 years old. Seeing how one man has turned his devastation over losing his dog - a feeling I know all too well - into a journey to help so many others has left me inspired beyond words.
Robinson's itinerary is not set in stone. Along the way, he has changed his route up a bit, made some unplanned stops, and stayed a bit longer in some places than others. But Boston is where this particular trek of his will end. And whenever that ends up being, I plan on being there. To shake his hand. To pet his pups. And to thank him. On behalf of Bismarck - and all of those touched by cancer.
After all, it will take me just 40 miles to get from Providence to Boston. Not even close to the 2,400 Robinson will have traveled to get there.
by Jane Porricelli, Providence Dogs Examiner
For Luke Robinson, the answer to that question is quite literal - 2,400 miles. On foot.
On March 16, 2008, Robinson left Austin, TX with his two Great Pyrenees dogs, Hudson and Murphy, by his side. They are now nearly one year into - and halfway through - the hike of their lives, one that Robinson hopes will help save lives.
This hike, which Robinson is chronicling on his website, www.2dogs2000miles.org, is taking the trio from Austin to Boston, all to raise awareness for canine cancer, which took Robinson's beloved Great Pyrenees, Malcolm, in 2006.
Robinson says that Malcolm's two-year fight, "was truly a life defining experience and one that's made me re-evaluate my place in the world and what my contribution can be." This re-evaluation led to his decision to quit his job, sell his truck, put all of his belongings in storage, and plan his cross-country walk in honor of Malcolm and all those touched by cancer.
As one of those people touched by cancer myself, I am deeply humbled by Robinson's selflessness and dedication to the cause. In fact, he told ZooToo.com that since losing Malcolm he has, "devoted the rest of my life to canine cancer, to raising awareness for it."
I lost my Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, Bismarck, to an aggressive form of Gastrointestinal Lymphoma in July 2007. He wasn't even 6 years old. Seeing how one man has turned his devastation over losing his dog - a feeling I know all too well - into a journey to help so many others has left me inspired beyond words.
Robinson's itinerary is not set in stone. Along the way, he has changed his route up a bit, made some unplanned stops, and stayed a bit longer in some places than others. But Boston is where this particular trek of his will end. And whenever that ends up being, I plan on being there. To shake his hand. To pet his pups. And to thank him. On behalf of Bismarck - and all of those touched by cancer.
After all, it will take me just 40 miles to get from Providence to Boston. Not even close to the 2,400 Robinson will have traveled to get there.
Monday, December 1, 2008
'Superhero' dog appears to be winning battle against brain cancer
'Superhero' dog appears to be winning battle against brain cancer
He was named 'Batman' due to his long, pointy ears.
But the ten and a half year old shepherd mix may in fact have superhero powers. How else can you explain that Batman is alive and thriving nearly four months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer?
In truth, his survival is directly credited to a unique medical research team that combines top talent from the University of Minnesota Veterinary school, and the U's Masonic Cancer Center.
"This has never been done," said John Ohlfest, Associate Professor and researcher at the Masonic Cancer Center. "No one has ever combined gene therapy in the brain for a brain tumor with vaccine."
Immediately after surgery to remove the tumor in August, areas of Batman's brain were injected with gene therapy. In the following weeks, the dog received shots of a vaccine grown with his own cancer cells.
At today's checkup, Batman hopped around the room like a puppy. His blood work is promising, and M-R-I's show no regrowth of the tumor.
"He's definitely back to his old self now, that's really a miracle," remarked owner Anna Brailovsky. "I'm really glad about that."
The research team is treating another dog with a brain tumor, and hoping to work with others. If things continue to go well, they could file human clinical protocol plans some time in the coming year.
"We're gonna push forward. We're going to write a human clinical protocol, and try to push this forward in people," insisted Ohlfest.
Some lumps can spell big trouble for dogs and cats
November 28, 2008 - 5:13 PM
ANNE PIERCE, COLUMNIST
In my last column, I noted that some scary-looking lumps on your pets may end up being nothing serious, and getting a proper diagnosis can allow you to get some sleep at night instead of worrying that something bad is going on.
This column looks at the other side of the coin - the lumps and bumps that can spell trouble, and how to deal with them.
The most common malignant mass I see on the surface of a dog's skin is a mast cell tumor. These often appear as raised pink lumps that sometimes increase and decrease in size rapidly. To the naked eye, mast cell tumors often look exactly like the benign histiocytomas we talked about two weeks ago. But when cells collected from the lump are placed under a microscope, the difference between the two is usually quite visible.
Most mast cell tumors can be cured by complete surgical removal if caught early. Once the tumor has grown to the size of a softball and has started rotting in the middle, however, it becomes considerably more challenging to remove and has likely had enough time to send out satellite tumors to far-reaching parts of the body, making cure with surgery impossible. When the tumor has spread, there is not a lot of effective medication or chemotherapy that will help for a long period of time, and death becomes inevitable.
Cats get mast cell tumors, too, but much less frequently than dogs, and theirs tend to be more benign, making them very likely to be curable with removal.
Any lump along the mammary chain in a female pet has potential to be a mammary tumor - the animal version of breast cancer. In dogs, about 50 percent of these lumps are benign and can be helped with surgery. But about 50 percent are aggressive, will recur after surgery, and will cause death because there is not much effective treatment.
Mammary tumors in cats are even more likely to be malignant.
Fortunately, we have a simple way of preventing mammary tumors: Female dogs and cats that are spayed before they go into heat for the first time (about 7 to 8 months old for dogs, and about 6 months for cats) develop mammary cancer at a rate of essentially 0 percent. And while spaying at a slightly older age can eliminate a host of reproductive problems down the road, it does not convey significant protection against the development of future mammary cancer. It breaks my heart to watch helplessly as an animal that was never intended to breed is consumed by mammary cancer just because nobody got around to spaying her for a few years.
When I see a dog come in for "lumps under the chin," I think first about lymphoma. This is the most common kind of cancer in dogs and cats, and in dogs it can cause the lymph nodes near the surface of the body to become enlarged.
A dog will often have a matching pair of firm swellings at the corner of the lower jaw and neck. Further examination often shows that the lymph nodes in front of the shoulders and behind the stifles are also enlarged. Often these lumps appear over the course of a few days to weeks.
Cats tend to hide their lymphoma inside their bodies, so prominent lumps on the outside are not a common tip-off for them.
Diagnosis can often be made with a needle aspirate of affected tissue or by removing an affected lymph node and sending it to a lab.
Lymphoma has a bit of a silver lining, because it tends to respond to chemotherapy better than just about any other type of cancer, and most pets tolerate the chemotherapy drugs without the terrible side effects that people often suffer. With aggressive treatment, we hope to be able to buy a year of good-quality life, but in the end the cancer always wins.
Without treatment, the average life expectancy after diagnosis is about one month.
This short list covers just a few of the more common lumps I see in practice, but there are thousands of things out there that cause visible lumps on pets. Is it a pocket of infection?
Is it a parasitic fly larva? Is it a glob of fat? Is it cancer?
In spite of apparent demand for it, I have yet to develop the skill of determining the composition of a lump over the telephone. But with an examination and a needle we can start getting down to the business of figuring it out and coming up with a plan to deal with it.
-
Anne Pierce is a Colorado Springs veterinarian and co-owner of High Plains Veterinary Hospital, a Colorado Springs small-animal clinic. Reach her at petdocs@highplainsvet.com.
ANNE PIERCE, COLUMNIST
In my last column, I noted that some scary-looking lumps on your pets may end up being nothing serious, and getting a proper diagnosis can allow you to get some sleep at night instead of worrying that something bad is going on.
This column looks at the other side of the coin - the lumps and bumps that can spell trouble, and how to deal with them.
The most common malignant mass I see on the surface of a dog's skin is a mast cell tumor. These often appear as raised pink lumps that sometimes increase and decrease in size rapidly. To the naked eye, mast cell tumors often look exactly like the benign histiocytomas we talked about two weeks ago. But when cells collected from the lump are placed under a microscope, the difference between the two is usually quite visible.
Most mast cell tumors can be cured by complete surgical removal if caught early. Once the tumor has grown to the size of a softball and has started rotting in the middle, however, it becomes considerably more challenging to remove and has likely had enough time to send out satellite tumors to far-reaching parts of the body, making cure with surgery impossible. When the tumor has spread, there is not a lot of effective medication or chemotherapy that will help for a long period of time, and death becomes inevitable.
Cats get mast cell tumors, too, but much less frequently than dogs, and theirs tend to be more benign, making them very likely to be curable with removal.
Any lump along the mammary chain in a female pet has potential to be a mammary tumor - the animal version of breast cancer. In dogs, about 50 percent of these lumps are benign and can be helped with surgery. But about 50 percent are aggressive, will recur after surgery, and will cause death because there is not much effective treatment.
Mammary tumors in cats are even more likely to be malignant.
Fortunately, we have a simple way of preventing mammary tumors: Female dogs and cats that are spayed before they go into heat for the first time (about 7 to 8 months old for dogs, and about 6 months for cats) develop mammary cancer at a rate of essentially 0 percent. And while spaying at a slightly older age can eliminate a host of reproductive problems down the road, it does not convey significant protection against the development of future mammary cancer. It breaks my heart to watch helplessly as an animal that was never intended to breed is consumed by mammary cancer just because nobody got around to spaying her for a few years.
When I see a dog come in for "lumps under the chin," I think first about lymphoma. This is the most common kind of cancer in dogs and cats, and in dogs it can cause the lymph nodes near the surface of the body to become enlarged.
A dog will often have a matching pair of firm swellings at the corner of the lower jaw and neck. Further examination often shows that the lymph nodes in front of the shoulders and behind the stifles are also enlarged. Often these lumps appear over the course of a few days to weeks.
Cats tend to hide their lymphoma inside their bodies, so prominent lumps on the outside are not a common tip-off for them.
Diagnosis can often be made with a needle aspirate of affected tissue or by removing an affected lymph node and sending it to a lab.
Lymphoma has a bit of a silver lining, because it tends to respond to chemotherapy better than just about any other type of cancer, and most pets tolerate the chemotherapy drugs without the terrible side effects that people often suffer. With aggressive treatment, we hope to be able to buy a year of good-quality life, but in the end the cancer always wins.
Without treatment, the average life expectancy after diagnosis is about one month.
This short list covers just a few of the more common lumps I see in practice, but there are thousands of things out there that cause visible lumps on pets. Is it a pocket of infection?
Is it a parasitic fly larva? Is it a glob of fat? Is it cancer?
In spite of apparent demand for it, I have yet to develop the skill of determining the composition of a lump over the telephone. But with an examination and a needle we can start getting down to the business of figuring it out and coming up with a plan to deal with it.
-
Anne Pierce is a Colorado Springs veterinarian and co-owner of High Plains Veterinary Hospital, a Colorado Springs small-animal clinic. Reach her at petdocs@highplainsvet.com.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY BEGINS CANINE STUDY TO HELP SAVE LIMBS OF ANIMAL, HUMAN BONE CANCER PATIENTS
FORT COLLINS - Colorado State University Animal Cancer Center researchers are embarking on a study that may save limbs of both human and animals with bone cancer that would otherwise be amputated. The study, which uses new state-of-the-art machinery at the university's James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, is seeking dogs with osteosarcoma who may qualify for the study.
The study is designed to deliver doses of radiation to within 2 millimeters of precision to tumors in the legs of dogs with osteosarcoma. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' Varian Trilogy Linear Accelerator, a highly advanced machine that delivers radiation to tumors, makes such meticulous delivery possible.
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer in dogs and people, so this study will benefit both. The most common treatment and current standard of care for this disease in dogs is amputation and chemotherapy said Dr. Stewart Ryan, a researcher at the Animal Cancer Center and professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences.
"This is one of the first studies that uses objective measurements of how well dogs use their legs after this sort of treatment," Ryan said. "The results of this study may help prevent amputations in future veterinary patients and would also have a translational aspect to help humans with bone cancer who don't want amputation. It may also have a role in decreasing the number of cycles and intensity of chemotherapy before limb-spare surgery in people, giving them a higher quality of life during the treatments.
When veterinarians are able to perform limb-sparing surgery for dogs, there are often complications that can result in additional surgeries and expense or ultimately end up in amputation.
"Now that we have this new equipment, we started to think about how we could develop high-dose radiation therapy as a non-surgical limb salvage treatment and a potential cure," Ryan said.
Bone cancers can be difficult to kill with traditional radiation. Instead, radiation mainly has been used to provide pain control and not to kill all of the tumor. When using radiation on osteosarcoma tumors, doctors must use a low radiation dose to avoid damage to normal tissues such as skin. With too much radiation, the skin can be damaged to varying degrees, including causing wounds that will not heal. If too little radiation is given, the tumor can come back or continue to grow. Radiation also can make the bone weak and susceptible to fracture.
Traditional limb-sparing surgery, which involves implanting canine cadaver bones or artificial metal implants after removing the bone cancer, also carries the risk of the tumor returning, infection in the bone, or screw or plate malfunctions. Options for this sort of surgery also are limited to tumors near the wrist joint in dogs.
The Varian Trilogy Accelerator is so technically advanced it can target a tumor with significantly more radiation than it delivers to the skin and tissue it travels through to reach the tumor. It can also focus more radiation at a tumor than the area of tissue immediately surrounding the tumor, regardless of the complexities of the shape of the tumor. A special computer program is used to make individual plans for patients to control the depth, intensity and duration of each round of radiation, based on each patient's CT scan and tumor shape.
Because tumors must receive more than one treatment with radiation and because the accelerator can deliver higher doses to tumors without damaging surrounding tissue, dogs in the study would get fewer numbers of radiation doses at levels eight to 10 times stronger than typical treatments. The precision at which the doses are delivered is key to preventing complications in the skin and maximizing the amount of tumor killed.
Ryan and collaborators Dr. Susan LaRue and Dr. Susan Kraft, along with radiation oncology staff at the hospital, have developed a system to ensure that radiation delivered to dogs in the study will be given to exactly the same spot every time. The study is limited to dogs with osteosarcoma in their limbs. Small wires or pins are inserted into the bone of the leg needing radiation. A ring is connected to these wires or pins outside of the leg, which is attached to a frame on the accelerator table when the dog undergoes treatment. The ring, which is protected when the dog is not receiving radiation, is worn like a bracelet for about a week to 10 days until treatment is completed.
The accelerator can take X-ray images of the dog's leg, which is securely positioned on the frame. The dog is anesthetized during treatment to ensure that he remains still. X-ray images taken at the initial treatment become the template for alignment for each consecutive treatment. X-rays taken at each consecutive treatment are compared to the initial images before radiation is delivered to ensure that the dog is lined up exactly the same way every time. If not positioned correctly, the Varian's table automatically readjusts the position.
Dogs in the study will be given three radiation treatments each spaced two to three days apart. They also will receive a dose of chemotherapy, which can make tumors more sensitive to radiation. At the end of the third treatment, the bracelet and wires or pins will be removed. Dogs in the study will be candidates for amputation. This treatment is also being offered to clients who do not want to participate in the study because they are not opting for amputation. Valuable information also will be obtained from those cases.
The success of the study will be measured through blood and urine tests that indicate the amount of bone turnover, MRI images, the amount of weight that dogs put on treated legs and the amount of tumor killed.
People interested in enrolling in this study or finding out more about treatment of osteosarcoma with high-dose radiation may contact Dr. Ryan by e-mail at stewart.ryan@colostate.edu or by calling (970) 297-4159.
The study is designed to deliver doses of radiation to within 2 millimeters of precision to tumors in the legs of dogs with osteosarcoma. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' Varian Trilogy Linear Accelerator, a highly advanced machine that delivers radiation to tumors, makes such meticulous delivery possible.
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer in dogs and people, so this study will benefit both. The most common treatment and current standard of care for this disease in dogs is amputation and chemotherapy said Dr. Stewart Ryan, a researcher at the Animal Cancer Center and professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences.
"This is one of the first studies that uses objective measurements of how well dogs use their legs after this sort of treatment," Ryan said. "The results of this study may help prevent amputations in future veterinary patients and would also have a translational aspect to help humans with bone cancer who don't want amputation. It may also have a role in decreasing the number of cycles and intensity of chemotherapy before limb-spare surgery in people, giving them a higher quality of life during the treatments.
When veterinarians are able to perform limb-sparing surgery for dogs, there are often complications that can result in additional surgeries and expense or ultimately end up in amputation.
"Now that we have this new equipment, we started to think about how we could develop high-dose radiation therapy as a non-surgical limb salvage treatment and a potential cure," Ryan said.
Bone cancers can be difficult to kill with traditional radiation. Instead, radiation mainly has been used to provide pain control and not to kill all of the tumor. When using radiation on osteosarcoma tumors, doctors must use a low radiation dose to avoid damage to normal tissues such as skin. With too much radiation, the skin can be damaged to varying degrees, including causing wounds that will not heal. If too little radiation is given, the tumor can come back or continue to grow. Radiation also can make the bone weak and susceptible to fracture.
Traditional limb-sparing surgery, which involves implanting canine cadaver bones or artificial metal implants after removing the bone cancer, also carries the risk of the tumor returning, infection in the bone, or screw or plate malfunctions. Options for this sort of surgery also are limited to tumors near the wrist joint in dogs.
The Varian Trilogy Accelerator is so technically advanced it can target a tumor with significantly more radiation than it delivers to the skin and tissue it travels through to reach the tumor. It can also focus more radiation at a tumor than the area of tissue immediately surrounding the tumor, regardless of the complexities of the shape of the tumor. A special computer program is used to make individual plans for patients to control the depth, intensity and duration of each round of radiation, based on each patient's CT scan and tumor shape.
Because tumors must receive more than one treatment with radiation and because the accelerator can deliver higher doses to tumors without damaging surrounding tissue, dogs in the study would get fewer numbers of radiation doses at levels eight to 10 times stronger than typical treatments. The precision at which the doses are delivered is key to preventing complications in the skin and maximizing the amount of tumor killed.
Ryan and collaborators Dr. Susan LaRue and Dr. Susan Kraft, along with radiation oncology staff at the hospital, have developed a system to ensure that radiation delivered to dogs in the study will be given to exactly the same spot every time. The study is limited to dogs with osteosarcoma in their limbs. Small wires or pins are inserted into the bone of the leg needing radiation. A ring is connected to these wires or pins outside of the leg, which is attached to a frame on the accelerator table when the dog undergoes treatment. The ring, which is protected when the dog is not receiving radiation, is worn like a bracelet for about a week to 10 days until treatment is completed.
The accelerator can take X-ray images of the dog's leg, which is securely positioned on the frame. The dog is anesthetized during treatment to ensure that he remains still. X-ray images taken at the initial treatment become the template for alignment for each consecutive treatment. X-rays taken at each consecutive treatment are compared to the initial images before radiation is delivered to ensure that the dog is lined up exactly the same way every time. If not positioned correctly, the Varian's table automatically readjusts the position.
Dogs in the study will be given three radiation treatments each spaced two to three days apart. They also will receive a dose of chemotherapy, which can make tumors more sensitive to radiation. At the end of the third treatment, the bracelet and wires or pins will be removed. Dogs in the study will be candidates for amputation. This treatment is also being offered to clients who do not want to participate in the study because they are not opting for amputation. Valuable information also will be obtained from those cases.
The success of the study will be measured through blood and urine tests that indicate the amount of bone turnover, MRI images, the amount of weight that dogs put on treated legs and the amount of tumor killed.
People interested in enrolling in this study or finding out more about treatment of osteosarcoma with high-dose radiation may contact Dr. Ryan by e-mail at stewart.ryan@colostate.edu or by calling (970) 297-4159.
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