AKC Canine Health Foundation Marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month with Three New Canine Cancer Grants

RALEIGH, NC (May 1, 2023) – The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the health of all dogs, marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month each May to highlight the impact of its funded canine cancer research. Already in 2023, CHF has awarded three new grants to study canine lymphoma, anal sac carcinoma, and bone cancer.

Cancer remains a major concern for dog owners and veterinary professionals. Therefore, approximately one quarter of CHF’s active research portfolio is usually dedicated to studies exploring more accurate diagnostic tests and new treatments for canine cancer. Since 1995, CHF and its donors have invested more than $17.7 million to study cancer at the molecular level, conduct clinical trials for new treatments, and understand how the immune system interacts with cancer cells.

The newly awarded research grants are:

Grant 03144: Lomustine, Asparaginase, Procarbazine and Prednisone (LAPP) for Canine Multicentric Lymphoma: A Practical Multiagent Chemotherapy Protocol that Avoids Injectable Cytotoxics
Principal Investigator: Douglas H Thamm, VMD; Colorado State University
A clinical trial of a new chemotherapy protocol using drugs that do not require special handling and therefore may be more widely available than currently used chemotherapy protocols.
Grant 03103: Identification of Genetic Mutations in Anal Sac Carcinoma Development in English Cocker Spaniels, Part II – Validation
Principal Investigator: Shaying Zhao, PhD; University of Georgia
Investigators will explore the genetic mutations that predispose English Cocker Spaniels to this cancer of the anal sacs.
Grant 03095-A: Cell-Specific Expression of MicroRNAs in Primary and Metastatic Canine Osteosarcoma
Principal Investigator: Geoffrey Wood, DVM, PhD; University of Guelph
Investigators will determine which cells produce a promising canine bone cancer biomarker that could help predict tumor behavior and dog survival time.

“CHF invests heavily in research to better understand canine cancer, which is so often a devastating and heartbreaking disease,” says Dr. J. Charles Garvin, Chairman of the CHF Board of Directors. “In addition to helping our dogs live longer, healthier lives, this research often provides insight into similar human cancers. We know that both ends of the leash benefit when we work together to fight cancer, giving us more time with our beloved dogs.”

These studies are part of CHF’s $4.8 million research portfolio of active canine cancer grants. To learn more about the Foundation’s commitment to canine cancer research, including educational resources and ways to participate in canine cancer research, please visit akcchf.org/caninecancer.