Dear Friends,

Because of your energy, compassion, and generosity, we’ve raised over $50,000—funds that will go directly toward making more effective, less toxic cancer treatments for dogs a reality.

A huge shout-out to the generous sponsors and to the incredible participants who joined our new walks in Washington DC, Vancouver, and Frisco, Texas!

Wag Love Life participants gather in Texas (top) and in Washington DC (bottom) 

In Washington DC, we gathered early Sunday morning on May 18 in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Among the group were families honoring pups lost to cancer, a family newly relocated from Japan whose dog only understands Japanese, a young couple whose mom had urged them to join the DC walk after joining us in Redmond, and 8th grader Connor from Arlington, VA. After his grandparents' dog died from cancer, Connor threw himself into learning about canine cancer research and organized a “Dunk for Dogs” basketball game fundraiser at his school.

Connor, an eighth grade student led a “Dunk for Dogs” fundraiser.  Here, receiving a certificate recognizing his outstanding leadership. 

In Frisco, Texas, the walk was organized by Prashubha Kimble, a dedicated student at Liberty High School.

 

Student leaders like Connor and Prashubha remind us that the next generation is already making an impact.

 

Lymphoma in Dogs: Latest Insights and Treatment Advances
Thursday, June 13 | 10 AM PT

Lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs—and also one of the toughest to cure. Standard chemotherapy often leads to remission, but sadly, most dogs relapse within a year.

Join Dr. Kevin Choy, veterinary oncologist at Blue Pearl, as he shares the latest on:

If your pup has just been diagnosed or is navigating relapse, this webinar is for you.

We are accepting questions in advance. 

Hemangiosarcoma is one of the most aggressive and heartbreaking cancers in dogs. It took my beloved Hanako at just two years old. And it seems to be increasingly common in so many dog.

 

But there’s new hope.

 

The EGFR/HER2 vaccine immunotherapy, developed by Yale’s Prof. Mark Mamula and Therajan team, is showing promise. Adding the vaccine has led to longer survival times -  something not seen in decades of research - for stage 1 and 2 patients. 

 

Betty Boop is one such survivor. After splenectomy, her mom drove 5 hours to get Betty enrolled in the trial. That was two years ago. Today, Betty is still going strong.

Betty Boop, a 2-year hemangiosarcoma survivor! (Thanks to the EGFR/HER2 vaccine from Therajan team)

We’ll share Betty’s full story in the coming weeks—including the details and supportive care she received.

 

 

Last weekend, thousands of cancer researchers and clinicians gathered in Chicago for the annual ASCO conference to share the latest breakthroughs in human oncology.

 

Watching the presentations, two studies stood out—both focused on treating metastatic cancer.  One in colorectal cancer patients and the other in men with advanced prostate cancer.

 

For these patients, conventional treatments like chemotherapy typically fail. But in both studies, with the help of new treatments, the majority of patients responded shockingly well with metastatic lesions disappearing.  For patients who had metastatic prostate cancer, side-effects were minimal and most of patients are still alive 12 months later.

 

The key?

 

 

This shift in human cancer treatment is extremely exciting. It shows us that non-toxic, immune-based therapies can work, even in the toughest cases. And it gives us enormous hope. 

 

Could similar approaches improve cancer treatment for dogs, too?  We definitely believe so!

 

CCA is supporting pilot studies exploring similar approaches.  Stay tuned for more details!

Thank you for being part of this community.

 

The studies Canine Cancer Alliance supports are only possible because of your involvement and support. We'd be so honored if you might consider becoming a monthly donor so that we can continue to advance research to help build a better future for dogs with cancer.

With heartfelt gratitude,

 

Mari

 

Mari Maeda PhD

Founder

Canine Cancer Alliance

P.S.
Please share this newsletter with your family and friends who might be interested!

 

P.P.S.
If you missed the recent NPR story about the pup with metastatic osteosarcoma making a remarkable recovery, you can still read it here.