Surprising Findings From 2024

Here are some key points shared in the webinar “Surprising Findings from 2024”. Please watch the video which discusses a range of topics including hemangiosarcoma treatments, osteosarcoma treatment without surgery, timing of therapies for best outcomes, surgery, gut microbiome, dietary intervention, and metastatic cancer treatment. 

• The Canine Cancer Alliance is a volunteer-led nonprofit dedicated to ending canine cancer as we know it today. We support research and clinical trials to develop safer, more effective, and accessible treatments so each dog can enjoy a long, healthy life.

  
  

• A surprisingly large number of splenic masses are benign tumors, not hemangiosarcoma.

• Immunotherapy can help dogs with hemangiosarcoma, as demonstrated in a study published in 1995, where canine patients were treated with L-MTP (Liposome-encapsulated Muramyl Tripeptide Phosphatidylethanolamine), synthetic derivative of bacterial cell wall.  

  
  

• Survival of stage 3 hemangiosarcoma patients treated with Torigen vaccine was similar to patients treated with chemotherapy.   

  
  

• The EGFR/HER2 vaccine (with splenectomy and chemotherapy) can extend survival times for stage 1 and stage 2 hemangiosarcoma patients. 

• For canine osteosarcoma patients who cannot undergo amputation surgery, combining the EGFR/HER2 vaccine with palliative radiation shows a median survival time of almost a year, based on the preliminary results reported last year. 

• The timing of therapies matters. For example, for canine osteosarcoma patients, beginning chemotherapy on the day of or very soon after surgery, ideally within five days, has shown better results in a retrospective study.

  
  

• In human medicine, starting immunotherapy as early as possible, before surgery (neoadjuvant immunotherapy), is recommended to reduce the chance of recurrence and stimulate a stronger anti-tumor immune response.

• Circadian rhythms may influence the effectiveness of cancer therapies, with some studies indicating that the timing of immunotherapy administration (morning vs. afternoon) can impact overall survival in human patients with metastatic cancer.

  
  

• A healthy gut microbiome is crucial for shaping and educating the immune system and can impact a patient's response to immunotherapy. Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) from immunotherapy responders to non-responders have improved treatment outcomes in human studies.

• Short-term fasting can reduce chemotherapy side effects in both humans and canines. Fasting-mimicking diets (FMD) show promise in strengthening cancer-fighting immune cells and removing immunosuppressive cells from the tumor environment in human clinical trials.

• Radiation therapy can trigger an immune response by causing cancer cell fragments to prime the immune system. However, it can also create a strong immunosuppressive tumor environment, drawing in immunosuppressive cells.

• Common blood pressure medications like Losartan and Propranolol may help eliminate immunosuppressive cells from the tumor microenvironment.

• The checkpoint inhibitor Gilvetmab blocks cancer cells from turning off T-cells, enhancing the immune response. In a CCA-supported study, hemangiosarcoma patients are treated with  EGFR/HER2 vaccine, an immune checkpoint inhibitor,and chemotherapy.  The gut microbiome is also being analyzed.

  
  

• To effectively combat metastatic cancers, it's essential to activate T-cells, release checkpoint molecules using checkpoint inhibitors, and deplete immunosuppressive cells.  Intra-tumoral immunotherapy may help these patients inducing abscopal effects.  

• Combining multiple therapies, including stimulatory immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors or vaccines, and modulating the gut microbiome through methods like fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) or fasting, may offer the most efficacy in cancer treatment.

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Check out other articles and videos

• Curing Hemangiosarcoma: New Calviri Vaccine Study for Canine Patients

• New Hope for Cures: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (including Gilvetmab)

• New Canine Cancer Screening Tests

Questions? Email us at info@ccralliance, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!

Canine Cancer Alliance is a non-profit organization supporting research for canine cancer cures.

All information on the Canine Cancer Alliance website is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

Always seek guidance from your veterinarian with any questions regarding your pet’s health and medical condition.