Ann
Moderator
The National Canine Cancer Foundation reported two stories this week both of which mark strides in identifying and finding a cure for canine cancer. Thought I'd post them here for all....
Batman’s treatment now available
to other dogs with brain tumors
Batman, the first dog to undergo a breakthrough experimental treatment for brain cancer, has become a poster dog for the revolutionary therapy. The pointy, black ears of the 10-year-old German shepherd mixed breed dog gave the cancer-surviving superhero his name, but his doctors and a novel therapy gave him back his life. Without treatment, Batman was not expected to survive past Halloween 2008. Given the circumstances, one wonders whether Batman’s doctors, G. Elizabeth Pluhar, D.V.M., Ph.D., and John Ohlfest, Ph.D., aren’t the true superheroes.
The University’s dynamic duo developed a combination treatment plan for dogs with glioma, a very aggressive and relatively common form of brain cancer. The treatment, which has given Batman a new lease on life, is now available to other dogs with brain cancer. The three-pronged approach to treatment consists of surgical removal of the tumor, treatment of the surgical site with a form of gene therapy to attract immune cells to destroy remaining tumor cells, and administration of an anti-cancer vaccine made from the dog’s own cancer cells to prevent tumor recurrence.
Pluhar, a surgeon at the Veterinary Medical Center, and Ohlfest, head of the neurosurgery gene therapy program at the Masonic Cancer Center, gave Batman his initial treatment in August 2008. Today, the neurological deficits that led to his diagnosis have been almost eliminated.
“We documented an anti-tumor immune response that has correlated quite well with tumor regression,” says Ohlfest. In other words, the treatment appears to have worked, and the implications could be far-reaching for both animals and humans.
“There is the potential for this type of therapy to be used on nearly any type of
systemic cancer in dogs, not just brain cancer, because the immune response covers the entire body,” says Pluhar. “I’m hopeful this therapy may in time be used for other types of systemic cancer in dogs.”
Through funding from government agencies and private foundations, Ohlfest and Pluhar have treated four other dogs for similar tumors. The second dog to receive treatment exhibited an impressive tumor regression following six vaccinations, and Ohlfest and Pluhar are optimistic that the other dogs will show similar responses.
Canine brain cancer therapy has been organized within the brain tumor clinical trials program, and the treatment team has funding to treat up to 50 dogs. That number could soon exceed 100 if additional funding is achieved.
The cost of therapy for one dog can range from $10,000 to $20,000. However, dogs with tumors that originate within the brain may be eligible for the brain tumor clinical trials program. The program will cover the vast majority of treatment costs while a dog remains in a trial.
STORY TWO:
Here is some more very promising results in the field of canine Cancer research:
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).
Click Here for the whole story http://tinyurl.com/nmlrjq
I hope you enjoy getting this informaton as much as I enjoy reporting it.
Thank you for you continued support
Gary
Gary D. Nice
President/CEO
National Canine Cancer Foundation, Inc.
a Non-Profit Corporation
5437 E. Sweetwater Ave
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
1-866-262-0542
NCCF’s Website www.wearethecure.org
NCCF Friend’s Personal page: www.wearethecure.org/friends/gary
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wearethecure
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wearethecure
Facebook Page www.facebook.com/National Canine Cancer Foundation
Facebook Cause Page www.causes.com/wearethecure
"If we all work together, WE ARE THE CURE"
This is for you Bailey, Ashby, Duncan and Casey
Batman’s treatment now available
to other dogs with brain tumors
Batman, the first dog to undergo a breakthrough experimental treatment for brain cancer, has become a poster dog for the revolutionary therapy. The pointy, black ears of the 10-year-old German shepherd mixed breed dog gave the cancer-surviving superhero his name, but his doctors and a novel therapy gave him back his life. Without treatment, Batman was not expected to survive past Halloween 2008. Given the circumstances, one wonders whether Batman’s doctors, G. Elizabeth Pluhar, D.V.M., Ph.D., and John Ohlfest, Ph.D., aren’t the true superheroes.
The University’s dynamic duo developed a combination treatment plan for dogs with glioma, a very aggressive and relatively common form of brain cancer. The treatment, which has given Batman a new lease on life, is now available to other dogs with brain cancer. The three-pronged approach to treatment consists of surgical removal of the tumor, treatment of the surgical site with a form of gene therapy to attract immune cells to destroy remaining tumor cells, and administration of an anti-cancer vaccine made from the dog’s own cancer cells to prevent tumor recurrence.
Pluhar, a surgeon at the Veterinary Medical Center, and Ohlfest, head of the neurosurgery gene therapy program at the Masonic Cancer Center, gave Batman his initial treatment in August 2008. Today, the neurological deficits that led to his diagnosis have been almost eliminated.
“We documented an anti-tumor immune response that has correlated quite well with tumor regression,” says Ohlfest. In other words, the treatment appears to have worked, and the implications could be far-reaching for both animals and humans.
“There is the potential for this type of therapy to be used on nearly any type of
systemic cancer in dogs, not just brain cancer, because the immune response covers the entire body,” says Pluhar. “I’m hopeful this therapy may in time be used for other types of systemic cancer in dogs.”
Through funding from government agencies and private foundations, Ohlfest and Pluhar have treated four other dogs for similar tumors. The second dog to receive treatment exhibited an impressive tumor regression following six vaccinations, and Ohlfest and Pluhar are optimistic that the other dogs will show similar responses.
Canine brain cancer therapy has been organized within the brain tumor clinical trials program, and the treatment team has funding to treat up to 50 dogs. That number could soon exceed 100 if additional funding is achieved.
The cost of therapy for one dog can range from $10,000 to $20,000. However, dogs with tumors that originate within the brain may be eligible for the brain tumor clinical trials program. The program will cover the vast majority of treatment costs while a dog remains in a trial.
STORY TWO:
Here is some more very promising results in the field of canine Cancer research:
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).
Click Here for the whole story http://tinyurl.com/nmlrjq
I hope you enjoy getting this informaton as much as I enjoy reporting it.
Thank you for you continued support
Gary
Gary D. Nice
President/CEO
National Canine Cancer Foundation, Inc.
a Non-Profit Corporation
5437 E. Sweetwater Ave
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
1-866-262-0542
NCCF’s Website www.wearethecure.org
NCCF Friend’s Personal page: www.wearethecure.org/friends/gary
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wearethecure
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wearethecure
Facebook Page www.facebook.com/National Canine Cancer Foundation
Facebook Cause Page www.causes.com/wearethecure
"If we all work together, WE ARE THE CURE"
This is for you Bailey, Ashby, Duncan and Casey