Pet Cancer Awareness

Research

Studies & Organizations

The money raised during Pet Cancer Awareness month not only goes to universities and clinics working on finding a cure, but to organizations like the Riedel & Cody Fund and the Perseus Foundation which help fund cancer treatments for families who may not otherwise be able to fully cover the costs. In the fight against pet cancer we’re doing our best to help both the pets affected, and the families that love them so much.

Below are the studies/organizations that benefited from our fundraiser in 2012:

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  1. National Canine Health Initiative - “Helping Dogs Enjoy A Healthier Tomorrow”
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    Dogs give us unconditional love, loyalty and companionship. Unfortunately, cancer and other diseases take our canine companions from us far too soon. As a world leader in advancing canine health and welfare for more than 60 years, Morris Animal Foundation is committed to creating a healthier tomorrow for dogs.

    Morris Animal Foundation’s Canine Lifetime Health Project is a groundbreaking, long-term effort to learn how to prevent cancer and other canine diseases. The project will determine the genetic, nutritional and environmental risk factors for cancer and other diseases that affect dogs and is the largest and longest study of dogs ever undertaken. Structured as a ten year study with over 2,500 dogs this study will surely give us groundbreaking information and new data that will help us find a cure!

    Working with scientists, veterinarians and dog parents, Morris Animal Foundation is helping to prevent canine diseases so dogs can live longer, healthier lives.

    Click here to learn more.


  2. Using Genetic Technology to Diagnose Cancer Types in Cats
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    Principal Investigator: Dr. Rachael Thomas, North Carolina State University

    Each year, as many as 22,000 cats in the U.S. develop sarcomas at the site of a vaccine or other injection. Because these injection site–associated sarcomas (ISASs) are typically more aggressive and prone to recurrence than spontaneous sarcomas that are not injection related, they often require more urgent and radical therapeutic intervention. Distinguishing between ISASs and non-ISASs is essential for optimizing clinical management and outcome for each patient, but at present there are no efficient and definitive means for diagnosis. This study uses state-of-the-art microarray-based technology to identify DNA-based markers that may provide more powerful diagnostic and prognostic tools for evaluating these tumors. These data will highlight cancer-associated gene defects as potential new therapeutic targets and will provide a wealth of comparative data that will advance feline molecular oncology studies.


  3. Evaluating a Novel Drug for Lymphoma
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    Principal Investigator: Dr. Barbara Biller, Colorado State University

    Lymphoma is one of the most common cancers of dogs, accounting for an estimated 25 percent of all canine cancers. More than 8 percent of dogs die of the disease within 2 years because chemoresistance develops. Although all types of dogs can be affected, certain breeds, such as Boxers, rottweilers, Golden Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels, appear to be at greater risk. The researchers will investigate a modified antibody (IMMU-114) that effectively kills canine lymphoma cells but does not appear to result in serious side effects when administered to healthy dogs. They will work to find the best dosage and evaluate its safety and effectiveness in dogs with B-cell lymphoma. If successful, this research might provide a new treatment option for owners of dogs that develop this type of lymphoma. This antibody might also be effective in the treatment of malignant histiocytosis, a cancer commonly found in Bernese mountain Dogs. Therefore, a secondary aim of this project will be to conduct preliminary studies to determine if IMMU-114 could be effective in treating this aggressive disease.


  4. Determining a More Effective Treatment for
    Canine Lymphoma
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    Principal Investigator: Dr. Jaime F. Modiano, University of Minnesota

    This study evaluates the efficacy of two antibodies that could treat canine B-cell lymphoma. The investigators theorize that either antibody alone will kill lymphoma cells and delay tumor progression but that the combined effect of the two antibodies will be more effective as a treatment for dogs with lymphoma.


  5. Studying How Mast Cell Tumors Spread
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    Principal Investigator: Dr. Cheryl A. London, The Ohio State University

    Mast cell tumors (MCTs) are the most common skin tumors in dogs, and they are often fatal. Previous studies in dogs with aggressive tumors found that the small microRNA (miR-9) expressed in those tumors was more likely to spread and kill affected dogs. This study provides a molecular framework for understanding how tumors with miR-9 spread.


  6. Studying How Mast Cell Tumors Become Malignant
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    Principal Investigator: Dr. Cheryl A. London, The Ohio State University

    Mast cell tumors are the most common skin tumor in dogs, and they are often fatal. Unfortunately, identifying the tumors likely to become malignant is challenging because little is known about how mast cells transform from benign to malignant. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non–protein-coding RN as involved in the initiation and progression of cancer in humans. Researchers will analyze expression of miRNAs associated with aggressive mast cell disease and begin to define how they may promote aggressive progression of tumors in dogs. This will help veterinarians better determine the prognosis for dogs with these tumors and more effectively treat them.


  7. Evaluation of Cyclopamine as a Therapy for
    Canine Bone Cancer
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    Principal Investigator: Dr. Heather M. Wilson, Texas A&M University, First Award Grant

    Cancer arises from a single mutated cell possessing the power to replicate, expand and eventually form a tumor. There are many theories as to what causes and prompts progression of this process. One theory states that a cell with stem cell capabilities divides to produce new tumor-initiating cells and daughter cells. Identifying pathways that can increase sensitivity of these cells to therapeutic intervention is paramount to finding a cure for bone cancer. Cyclopamine, a chemical found in the corn lily plant, inhibits the Sonic Hedgehog pathway, which is responsible for normal embryo development and for maintaining adult stem cells and directing the regeneration of tissues. This study will research cyclopamine’s effectiveness at inhibiting tumor-initiating cells in canine osteosarcoma cell lines. The goal is to provide a new targeted therapy for pets with osteosarcoma.


  8. National Canine Cancer Foundation
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    The National Canine Cancer Foundation is a nationwide, contribution funded, 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to eliminating Cancer as a major health issue in dogs by funding grants directly to Cancer researchers who are working to save dogs lives by finding cures, better treatments and accurate, cost effective diagnostic methods in dealing with canine Cancer. The purpose of the Foundation’s Research Grant Program is to encourage and provide grant support for basic, pre-clinical and clinical research in high impact and innovative cancer research, which is intended to develop innovative approaches to a cure, treatment, diagnosis or prevention of cancers in dogs. The program fosters collaboration between basic and clinical scientists with the intent of enhancing the transfer of basic research findings to clinical usefulness.

    www.WeAreTheCure.org


  9. Emma’s Foundation for Canine Cancer
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    Emma's Foundation will provide resources, referrals and funding for canine cancer care. EFFCC will work to heighten canine cancer awareness, provide resources and to provide financial funding to pet owners who do not have the financial ability to pay for the canine cancer treatment of their beloved pet. Our focus is on sparing or prolonging the life of our canine friends, by assisting with financial support.

    www.EmmasFoundationForCanineCancer.org


  10. Kate Koogler Canine Cancer Fund, Inc.
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    The Kate Koogler Canine Cancer Fund was established to raise money for bone related cancer research. It is our hope and goal that by determining why certain breeds and size dogs get bone related cancer, we can help treat and prevent other owners from being faced with similar decisions like amputation before losing the ones they love. Additionally, understanding and managing these cancers in dogs help treat cancer in humans. Comparative oncologists are using naturally occurring cancer in animals to understand environmental risks, examine genetic / familial determinants for predispositions seen in some dog breeds and evaluate novel therapeutic strategies for a variety of cancers in humans. Kate’s Fund is specifically designated for osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma research in the hopes of finding ways to treat or prevent bone cancer in dogs.

    www.KateFund.org


  11. Stymie Canine Cancer Foundation
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    Stymie Canine Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit organization that is here to Fight K9 Cancer. The Stymie Canine Cancer Foundation helps fund research & family pets with cancer as well as increasing the public’s knowledge of canine cancer.

    www.StymieCCF.org


  12. Riedel & Cody Fund
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    The primary mission of The Riedel and Cody Fund is to provide financial support to qualified owners of pets with cancer to allow them to give their pet the best possible cancer care and treatment. We are predisposed to providing financial aid to qualified, loving, responsible pet owners for treatment that will allow an animal the best chance for a high quality, elongated life. Additionally we provide a dynamic source of information and networking through a world class internet presence to assist pet owners, veterinary professionals and practitioners in deciding on various cancer treatment options, understanding potential side effects of various treatments, and ultimately advancing the understanding of the efficacy of various integrated treatment protocols for cancer in animals.

    www.RiedelCody.org


  13. Greyhound Rock Fredericksburg
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    Greyhounds ROCK Fredericksburg, a 501c(3) non-profit fund-raising charity, was created to raise awareness and funds to support canine cancer research, to honor the dogs that are or have been affected by this disease, and to offer encouragement and education to the people who love them.

    Greyhounds Rock Fredericksburg is working with researchers at Ohio State University to help find cures and provide help to area pet owners. Numerous local owners have benefited from Greyhound Rock’s work with OSU's program to provide free chemotherapy to dogs in need, as well as our educational seminars on topics such as grief support, becoming a therapy dog team, and how to foster a homeless dog. Greyhounds Rock has also begun work with local firehouses to provide oxygen masks for cats & dogs, Red Cross first aid books and veterinary-led instruction on how to administer first aid to companion animals.

    www.GreyhoundsRock.org


  14. National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
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    The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Ojai, California. Our mission is to strengthen disaster response in America by recruiting rescued dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters.

    We offer the professionally trained canines and an ongoing training program at no cost to fire departments. And we ensure lifetime care for every dog in our program: once rescued, these dogs never need to be rescued again. There are currently 72 SDF-trained Search Teams located in California, Florida, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Thanks to Mutual Aid Agreements between counties, cities and states, these precious, life-saving resources can be shared regionally and nationally to make sure that when disaster strikes, no one is left behind.

    www.SearchDogFoundation.org


  15. The Perseus Foundation
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    The Perseaus Foundation’s mission is to:
    • Educate the public and scientific community about the biologic similarity of cancer in pets and people
    • Communicate the ways in which comparative oncology is accelerating the treatment and prevention of cancer
    • Provide financial assistance to people who have dogs with cancer but cannot afford the high cost of treatment
    • Encourage and promote research focused on the biologic similarity of cancer in pets and people that will expedite therapeutic and preventive benefits for both
    • Establish Pets&Pals a program designed for pediatric oncology patients that is dedicated to helping pet lovers and professionals understand and work toward improved treatment of dogs with cancer
    • Create “a home away from home” for pet owners and their beloved animal friends to stay together during treatment.

    www.ThePerseusFoundation.org


  16. Care Foundation Inc.
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    The Special Care Foundation for Companions Animals creates innovative opportunities that empower the families of companion animals to win the fight against cancer and other diseases. Similarly, the Foundation actively unites the academic, healthcare, biotechnology, biomedical, pharmacology and veterinary communities to research and develop innovative technologies and therapies with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life for animals and people alike. The Foundation creates these cooperative relationships for research, development and exploration of groundbreaking treatment options. Our primary goal is to enhance quality of life of the "whole patient" through a combination of medical, surgical, radiological, nutritional, natural, physical and supportive options. We engage others to create a compassionate, caring environment to enhance, enrich and improve the incredible relationship between animals and people worldwide.

    www.SpecialCareFoundation.org


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