Our Science – Comparative Oncology Program
Naturally occurring cancers, in pets such as dogs and cats, share tumor biology with humans and have similar tumor histology and response rates to conventional chemotherapy. CCR’s Comparative Oncology Program (COP), led by veterinarian Dr. Chand Khanna, is helping to generate new information about cancer, translate biological concepts to relevant in vivo models, and create new therapeutic options for managing human cancers.
It has been estimated that there are approximately 65 million dogs and 32 million cats in the United States. Crude estimates of cancer incidence indicate that there are roughly 6 million new cancer diagnoses made in dogs and a similar number made in cats made each year. This large population of pets with cancer provides researchers with the opportunity to study spontaneous cancers that are similar to those seen in humans. These cancers include non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate carcinoma, lung carcinoma, head and neck carcinoma, mammary carcinoma, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and osteosarcoma.
The value of studying spontaneous cancers to help understand and manage cancer has been evident to veterinary oncologists and other cancer researchers for many years. More than 30 years ago, optimization of bone marrow transplantation protocols was undertaken in pet dogs with lymphoma. Since then, the work of clinical veterinary oncologists in using naturally occurring cancers in animals to better understand and treat cancer in humans has been known as comparative oncology.
Dr. Khanna and his team have set up a nationwide drug development consortium in collaboration with 15 veterinary schools to test the effectiveness of cutting-edge cancer drugs in pet dogs that are eligible. In essence, these are “clinical trials” for our pets! To learn more, visit Comparative Oncology Program.
