The Case for Canine Immunotherapy
Cancer does not respect species boundaries. Each year more than four million dogs are diagnosed with cancer (1), making it the leading disease related cause of death in the canine population. Osteosarcoma, lymphoma, mast cell tumors and mammary carcinomas are among the most prevalent (1). In many cases, these tumors in dogs bear striking biological and molecular similarities to their human counterparts.
This convergence is the foundation of the Comparative Oncology (2) framework and One Health Initiatives. Companion pets, like dogs and cats, share our environments, our lifestyles and increasingly our therapeutic challenges. When research advances in veterinary oncology, it can open windows into human disease as well.
