In May 2024, I received an email from a couple in New England. Their beagle mix, Buddy, had been diagnosed with an aggressive carcinoma on his tongue, and they were desperate to find options.

 

I knew exactly how they felt - I’d been in their shoes when our own dog was diagnosed with cancer that conventional treatments couldn’t help.

 

I shared information about new experimental therapies, including the EGFR/HER2 vaccine developed by Professor Mark Mamula at Yale School of Medicine, and encouraged them to reach out.

 

Amazingly, they wrote back to say that Prof. Mamula was their neighbor… and they didn't know he was developing an immunotherapy for dogs!

 

Buddy received the vaccine and a short course of chemo. With careful veterinary care and a lot of love, his cancer disappeared completely.

 

To honor Buddy and support further research, his parents - Bob and Loretta - are organizing a Wag Love Life - End Dog Cancer Walk in their hometown.   The walk will take place at the Salt Meadow Park in Madison, Connecticut, next Sunday, Oct 12. 

 

Please sign up and join the walk.  Prof Mark Mamula will also be there.
 

Virtual participants are welcome!  We'll mail you your shirt and bandana.

 

If you live in San Francisco, you can also join a walk at the Sunset Dunes Park on Oct 12 at 10 am.  The group will meet at Lincoln Way side. Please email Cecilia at cece744@gmail.com to let her know that you will be joining or if you have any questions!

👉 Learn More About the therapy

The presentation slide (shared above with permission) showed the Kaplan-Meier survival curve for 21 dogs that received 1-4 doses of carboplatin with Elias immunotherapy (left).

 

Surprisingly, even better results were seen (right) for the subset of dogs -13 dogs - that received immunotherapy with a single dose of carboplatin immediately after surgery.

Elias Immunotherapy is a relatively expensive therapy that is out of reach for many families, and research is needed to develop therapies that are accessible to more dogs.

However, it is extremely exciting to see these results, especially if they can be validated with more data.  

 

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is fast, cruel, and heartbreaking. I lost our 2-year-old golden retriever to metastatic HSA  - and I know how sudden it strikes.

To understand what causes this disease, we’re launching a new research project with Duke University to study the link between environmental toxins and HSA.

We're scheduling a webinar on October 17, during which researchers will share early findings on environmental carcinogens and outline their plans for the new study.

 

Together, we’re turning heartbreak into progress.
Every study, every walk, every donation moves us closer to ending dog cancer as we know it.

Mari

 

Mari Maeda PhD

Canine Cancer Alliance

P.S.
If you find these email updates helpful, please share with your family and friends and yoru vet!