Aug 29, 2007 5:45 pm US/Eastern
'PetScreen' Helps Detect Cancer In Dogs Early
by Mary Robb Jackson
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Losing a pet is like losing a member of your family; but now a simple blood test could help save the lives of countless pets by detecting cancer early.
Since dogs can't tell their owners how they're feeling, it's often too late to treat the disease by the time it's detected.
But now, a simple new test could change that.
The blood test, called PetScreen, is the first of its kind designed to catch canine lymphoma tumors early.
"Lymphoma is one of those diseases that actually does respond very, very well to chemotherapy," explains the test's developer Dr. Kevin Slater. "The problem is -- because dogs don't communicate their disease," Slater adds, "it's always caught too late."
Once a small blood sample is sent to a British-based bioscience lab, technicians look for certain proteins or "markers" that lymphoma cells produce.
If the sample tests positive for cancer, a second test can then determine which type of chemotherapy treatment may be the most effective.
"If it can be caught earlier -- when the tumor is much smaller," Dr. Slater adds, "the chances of successful intervention through chemo are much greater."
Veterinarian Dr. Mike Hutchinson says testing for the telltale "protein fingerprints" periodically can monitor a dog's wellness.
"And we can monitor whether they have cancer," Hutchinson explains, "and if they do have it and we treat it -- whether we successfully got rid of it - and whether they're still in remission which is wonderful."
Dr. Slater has also worked on human biomarker research and believes that the successes with animals may also have an impact on early cancer detection for people.
According to the PetScreen website, pet owners who are interested in scheduling a test for their dog must first get their veterinarian to take a blood sample. They can then contact PetScreen, which will set up the test.
To learn more about PetScreen, log on to: pet-screen.com
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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