Published Aug 26, 2020

Can Cancer Data From Dogs Help Humans? The FDA Has a Major New Program For Interspecies Learning

Dogs aren't only your constant companions, but recent studies have shown that when it comes to cancer, they can help out with more than just cuddles.

Shelby Black

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The Link Between Cancer Treatment for Dogs & Humans

Over the years, studies have shown cancer treatment for dogs may have beneficial results for human cancer patients.
Oncologists have found that tumors in dogs are biologically similar to tumors in humans, making them better candidates to test the safety and effectiveness of experimental therapies and drugs in human clinical trials.
It’s critical researchers and institutions share data and information with one another, as it could possibly lead to the next ground-breaking cancer treatment.

We love our dogs for so many reasons; let’s add another one to the list! It might be that Fido’s cancer treatment can now help you. It turns out that a pup’s cancer care is sometimes very similar to ours. In recent studies, oncologists have found that research from canine’s cancer diagnoses can actually benefit our own cancer treatment. Finally, a new program is making sure that data is shared among experts.

There’s very little we wouldn’t do to treat our pet’s cancer, and according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), animal clinical trials have yielded not only successful treatments for them, but promising research for humans. Now, oncologists are finally sharing much needed information with fellow experts through a program which which could make treatment for both humans and dogs a much more collaborative experience. The NCI are launching the Integrated Canine Data Commons (ICDC) program in order to share clinical trial results to make determining the safety and effectiveness of experimental drugs more efficient across all fields.

Through this program, data and results from experimental therapies, veterinary hospitals, research facilities, will be stored online, making it easier for researchers to access information and compare their personal results with these findings. Additionally, researchers will collect the effectiveness certain therapy treatments were on dogs, which includes immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiation.

It may surprise you how helpful this data can be for us, but it turns out dogs and humans actually have quite a bit in common when it comes to battling diseases. For one, the biology of tumors between dogs and humans are more similar than we might have thought which means if certain cancer treatments for dogs are successful, there’s a good chance it may also be beneficial to us. Plus, cancer doesn’t discriminate animals can be diagnosed with brain, lung, skin, and bone cancer, just like their humans.

As this information has become more known, a number of pharmaceutical companies and cancer institutions have incorporated veterinary divisions in order to develop more research which will benefit both you, and your furry best friend, in the future.

It’s Important To Share This Research

The ICDC program is long overdue, as sharing data can be one of the best ways to prove how effective experimental therapies and drugs are in cancer treatment. One of the main benefits of pet clinical trials is learning more about the safety, effectiveness, and ideal dose of developing drugs. However, oncologists have stressed that these trials are not meant to treat animals like test subjects, but actual patients. In most clinical trials, researchers will test the safety of a drug on mice, but seeing as dogs’ and humans’ tumors are much more similar, results can be much more promising.

In a 2015 clinical trial, the NCI tested an experimental drug for dogs with melanoma to determine what yielded the best result for their four-legged patients. By determining the ideal dose and analyzing the side-effects, researchers saw that the drug partially shrank tumors in some of the dogs. Once seeing these results, it led to the experimental drug being used in a clinical trial for humans with advanced solid tumors, which also proved successful.

If you haven’t heard about the similarities between you and your dog’s cancer treatment, it may be because the information is often not shared between cancer facilities and competing pharmaceutical companies. In many cases, institutions develop their studies and research separately, but it’s key that researchers and their organizations collaborate on findings as it can possibly lead to new innovations in experimental therapies a life-saving resource for many cancer patients.

For Cancer Patients, Pet Therapy is a Real Resource

Judging by studies, there’s really nothing our pet companions can’t do. For many people battling cancer, pet therapy is a proven way to keep spirits positives and distract yourself from difficult treatment. While Richard Marks was battling bone cancer, he had to visit his hospital five days a week to receive chemotherapy treatments. The process can be grueling, but Richard tells SurvivorNet that thanks to some very sweet dogs, he was able to enjoy the experience.

“When I'm doing chemotherapy, I'm waiting and times going by. Maybe I'm worrying about my numbers or how treatment is going. And all of the sudden a cute little dog goes by, then I'm not thinking about those things," Richard says. "I'm only thinking about that dog."

Studies have proven that pet therapy is a great way for cancer patients to cope during treatment, and many hospitals have teamed up with foundations such as The Good Dog Foundation to bring these sweet pups into the arms of people who need them most.

While battling bone cancer, Richard Marks says pet therapy helped him cope during treatment

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