Human Cancer Therapy Saving Dog Lives.

Cancer is a devastating disease that affects man as well as his best friend, the dog. The cause of this malady is usually undetermined and the cure rate, though improving, is still less than we would hope for.

A Canadian company by the name of Oncolytics Biotech Inc. recently announced a study that was conducted on six dogs of varying ages and breeds with different types of cancers that had spontaneously appeared. A virus known as a reovirus was injected into the tumors to determine its effectiveness in treating the disease. The virus, Reolysin, is being formulated as a potential agent to be used against neoplasias occurring in people, including breast, prostate, pancreatic and brain.

During the study, the dogs experienced no observable ill side effects. After only two or three weeks after that last injection of the virus, the tumors were examined for their response to the treatment. 5 out of 6 dogs had either regression of the tumor or clearing. Two of the pets with cancer that was throughout their bodies, had clearance of the tumor at sites other than where the injection occurred.

Chemotherapy can often kill normal cells as well as the malignant tumor. This can cause as many problems as the cancer itself. Reolysin in this study was shown to selectively kill only the cancer cells.

Further studies need to be conducted to determine the effectiveness in the use of this cancer therapy for people, but the initial testing shows great promise at least for its use in our companion animal, the dog.

Medicine is a field of study that is ever expanding. Knowledge gained in treating the disease of man can often benefit our companion animals. Knowledge doesn't recognize boundaries and this is important when it comes to the well being of people and animals because they are "Your Pet…Health Matters."