80% of every donation to Bone Cancer Dogs goes directly to funding research.

Research is the basis for all the recent advancements in the diagnosis and management of canine osteosarcoma. It has led to new chemotherapy protocols, adjuvant therapies, and the development of a vaccine specifically targeting osteosarcoma. Without funding for research, progress against this disease would stagnate. But research is costly, in terms of technical, material and intellectual investments. And research projects take time. Financial support for basic and clinical research allows for more collaboration among academic institutions and private groups. The more research we conduct against this disease, the closer we are to a cure.

The AVMA offers an animal health studies database. 

Veterinarians and animal owners may search the site to find studies that might be relevant to their patient or pet, either for a particular condition or even to provide health data or a sample from a normal animal. Animal owners interested in participating in such studies are encouraged to discuss their eligibility for any relevant study with their veterinarians.

Studying Intravenous Pamidronate

In 2010, Bone Cancer Dogs, Inc. proudly announced its first sponsorship of a clinical trial in canine osteosarcoma at Colorado State University (CSU). This trial studied the potential additive effect of intravenous pamidronate to palliative radiation in the pain management of bone cancer.

Studying Limb-Spare Implants

The second research project sponsored by Bone Cancer Dogs, Inc. was conducted at North Carolina State University: a study regarding limb-spare implants, which are used in treatment of canine osteosarcoma.

Studying Carboplatin & Palladia

This clinical research trial sponsored by Bone Cancer Dogs, Inc. was also conducted at North Carolina State University. The trial evaluated the impact of carboplatin and toceranib (Palladia®) on angiogenesis and survival in canine osteosarcoma.

Study on Intravenous Pamidronate

This was the first study we sponsored. The purpose of the study was to determine if the addition of a bisphosphonate (pamidronate) to standardized palliative radiation therapy (XRT) plus anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) would affect survival time and improve the dog’s ability to bear weight on the affected limb. The weight bearing was assessed by several objective measurements, including gait on a force plate, stance time, peak vertical impulse and force.

This study showed that dogs treated with pamidronate in addition to palliative radiation therapy and NSAIDs were able to put more weight on the affected leg for a greater amount of time compared to dogs treated with just palliative radiation therapy and NSAIDs.
Although the survival time was unaffected by the addition of pamidronate to the palliative treatment protocol, the addition of pamidronate produced greater improvement in objective and subjective measures of limb function compared to XRT alone and thus may provide more sustained duration of pain palliation as part of a palliative treatment protocol for dogs affected by appendicular osteosarcoma.

This study was presented at a national meeting of the Veterinary Cancer Society.

Study on Limb-Spare Implants

This is the second study we have sponsored. While it was not a clinical trial per se, it was designed to evaluate test implants used in limb-sparing surgery. Additive manufacturing (also known as 3-D printing) can be used to make metal implants. Patient-specific implants designed via 3D medical imaging data (such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) may provide a better anatomic fit and allow orthopedic procedures to be carried out with little or no modification to the underlying bone structure, thereby improving the bone-implant interface.

This study quantified the effects of plate contact area, plate orientation, and implant stiffness on the mechanical properties of constructs. Test implants were designed to represent the proximal and segmental portions of the limb-sparing endoprostheses. Five different plate configurations were used, both customized and commercially available implants. The study allowed the investigators to select an optimized limb-sparing implant design. To validate the optimized limb-sparing design, an in-vitro biomechanical study was carried out using paired thoracic limbs. Mechanical testing was carried out before and after surgical placement of the implants.

The study showed that the surgical time for implantation of the commercial implants was 40% longer than for the custom implants, and that the strain on the limbs reconstructed with custom endoprostheses was significantly lower than untreated limbs.

Study on Carboplatin & Palladia

This is the third research study that we have sponsored. This was a pilot study conducted at North Carolina State University looking at the possible impact of adding toceranib phosphate (Palladia ®) to treatment of dogs who had undergone amputation and chemotherapy with carboplatin.

The purpose was to determine if the toceranib would have an effect on angiogenesis. Ten dogs were included in the study. No dogs were removed from the study due to toxicity. Median overall survival was 253 days with 30% of the dogs alive at 18 months and 10% alive at 2 years. Although this regimen was well-tolerated, survival times did not exceed previously published data from dogs treated with amputation plus chemotherapy alone. The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research in July 2017.

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Research is the basis for all the recent advancements in the diagnosis and management of canine osteosarcoma. It has led to new chemotherapy protocols, adjuvant therapies, and the development of a vaccine specifically targeting osteosarcoma. Without funding for research, progress against this disease would stagnate. But research is costly, in terms of technical, material and intellectual investments. And research projects take time. Financial support for basic and clinical research allows for more collaboration among academic institutions and private groups. The more research we conduct against this disease, the closer we are to a cure. 

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