American dogs get experimental cancer drugs before humans

American dogs who have cancer are now able to get help from experimental drugs before they are available to humans. Trials are now in progress and some cancers in dogs have disappeared.

Approximately 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States, opening up a new field of research called comparative oncology, using pets (mostly dogs) in models to combat human cancer, reports Live Science. In an interview with NewScientist, Chand Khanna, head of the Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium in Bethesda, Maryland, said, "We've had dramatic remissions in dogs with really aggressive cancers. We've also had responses allowing dogs to have their original cancers surgically removed." Researchers found dogs who are exposed to the same cancer-causing agents as humans develop cancer with the same complexities as humans. Cancers created in the lab with mice and rats do not mirror all of the problems that cancers can bring about, as they are tested under rigid controls and regulations. A huge advantage is that scientists can try the experimental drugs on pets in the early stages of their cancer whereas in humans it would have to wait until all other forms of treatment have failed, usually in the late stages of the disease's progression, says Live Science. Some animal advocacy groups feel experimentation on animals is wrong. This approach challenges their way of thinking because the pets are being cared for by their owners, and researchers hope the animals will actually get better. Also, rare cancers in humans are common in dogs. For instance, bone cancer happens quite frequently in large-breed dogs. Bone cancer is a disease that occurs mostly in children. Scientists can use this higher rate of disease in dogs to their advantage in their fight against cancer. Dr. Barbara Kitchell, director of the Center for Comparative Oncology at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said in an interview with Live Science, “It’s very hard to get enough human beings together to model a rare cancer, but we can do that in the dog very easily." Chand Khanna says the well-being of the dog is still the top priority. "It's important that the trials are designed with the care of the animals as priority, and also that there's an informed consent process each time," he said in his interview with NewScientist.