Dear First name / friend,

 

I hope you're doing well!  

Here are five things I want to share with you this month:

Toward the end of last year at the Veterinary Cancer Society meeting. Professor Mark Mamula presented compelling early data from his project that we're supporting.  It showed that canine osteosarcoma patients who received EGFR/HER2 vaccine alongside palliative radiation —without surgery or chemotherapy—experienced significantly longer survival times compared to radiation alone.

 

The numbers are striking: median survival extended to nearly a year (!) compared to just 3-4 months for dogs who received palliative radiation alone. This remarkable difference may be due to the synergistic combination: the vaccine generates anti-cancer antibodies targeting EGFR and HER2 proteins while low-dose radiation triggers the release of tumor antigens effectively turning the tumor into its own vaccine.

 

While more data is being collected to confirm these findings, if validated, this could be a game-changer for canine cancer treatment with profound future implications. Many researchers believe the survival times can be further improved and most likely in future without radiation.  

 

The initial data was collected at Washington State University veterinary hospital, but Prof Mamula is arranging for canine patients to benefit from palliative radiation + vaccine at other study clinics soon.  Stay tuned for more! (To learn more the EGFR/HER2 vaccine project, watch Prof. Mamula’s webinar )

Mavis wasn’t a candidate for amputation, so her osteosarcoma was treated with low-dose palliative radiation and the EGFR/HER2 vaccine. Remarkably, she survived for 18 months.

Some of you may remember our interview with Susie’s dad, where he shared their journey after 13-year old Susie was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Her family was devasted when told she had only a few months to live.

Thanks to the compassionate care of veterinary oncologist Dr. Jeanette Kelly, Susie received an integrative care, including Immunocidin immunotherapy, home-cooked meals and plenty of love. Defying the odds, she lived 3 years and 3 months beyond her original diagnosis.

Last month, sadly, Susie passed away from an unrelated cause. Our hearts go out to her devoted family—we are honored to have been able to share her story. 💙🐾

Susie was diagnosed urothelial cell carcinoma (also known as transitional cell carcinoma) in 2021. Because of her age, her family sought a gentler treatment alternative to standard chemotherapy.

Immunocidin is a purified bacterial extract with proven immune-modulating and anti-cancer properties. Originally studied for its potential in treating human bladder cancer, it was later approved by the USDA for treating canine mammary tumors and has since been used to combat a wide range of cancers in dogs.

Today, any veterinarian in North America can order Immunocidin, yet published data on its efficacy remains limited. To help fill this gap, Canine Cancer Alliance is supporting studies focused on this promising therapy.

When our Gus had cancer, there was only 1 or 2 immunotherapy options available for canine patients.  But today, thanks to research, there are several new possibilities.  So we created a Quick Guide that describes what makes immunotherapy so promising and which treatments are currently available.  Click here to view  (It's for your personal use; please don't re-distribute).  We'll be updating this guide frequently as things are changing rapidly.  We welcome your feedback!

Last week, we spoke to researchers at Duke University about their fascinating study that uncovered the link between a wide range of environmental toxins with dog cancer.  At our next webinar on March 14 noon PT, we'll review this study and other scientific findings on canine cancer causes and prevention.  Please register to join and to receive recording.

We’re gearing up for our annual Wag Love Life 5K on Sunday, May 4, 2025 —a special event where dog lovers come together (in person and virtually) to raise critical funds for canine cancer research. 

We’re actively seeking sponsors and partners to help make this event a success! There are multiple ways you or your business can get involved:

Please respond to this email and let me know if you're interested (mmaeda@ccralliance.org).  Registration will open mid-March!🐾💙

 

By the way, we've recently had issues with the app that we use to generate these emails. If you find that the links are broken, please let m know!

Join us in the fight against canine cancer by becoming a monthly donor today! Your ongoing support fuels groundbreaking research, advances innovative treatments, and gives hope to countless dogs and their families. Even a small monthly gift makes a big impact, helping us work toward better, more effective cancer therapies. Together, we can change the future for dogs facing cancer. Make a difference every month—sign up now!