Auburn Veterinary Researchers Developing New Treatment for Canine Bone cancer
In 2013, the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation awarded a grant in the amount of $118,848 to Dr. Bruce Smith, director of the Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer, who will spend two years testing a new bone cancer treatment for dogs.
Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer in dogs, and Dr. Smith estimates that 40,000 – 60,000 dogs are diagnosed with osteosarcoma each year. Bone cancer can affect any breed of dog, but it is more often found in the larger breeds. It commonly affects the limbs, but can also occur in the skull, ribs, vertebrae, or pelvis.
The signs of bone cancer can be subtle, and depend on the primary site. If the tumor is in the limb, it can include swelling, lameness, and pain, and a firm swelling may become evident as the tumor grows. It can also cause irritability, aggression, loss of appetite, weight loss, whimpering, a reluctance to exercise and the inability to sleep. If the tumor is in a non-weight bearing bone, it may appear as a solid, firm mass, or a painful inflammation around the sight of the tumor.
There are various treatments available in the treatment of this disease, including non-surgical and surgical, but not every dog is a candidate for surgery, which makes this research even more exciting!
As stated in the video below, “treatment consists of a virus normally used as a hepatitis vaccine in dogs that has been modified to only make copies of itself inside bone cancer cells. The virus ruptures the cancer cells, releasing thousands of copies of the virus from the tumor cells, killing them.”
This research also emphasizes the concept of one medicine that makes discoveries in dogs and possibly will make advances for humans too. Look out cancer!
