Trial offers canine cancer treatment hope

Vets in Edinburgh have launched a trial of a new drug that they hope will provide an alternative treatment for an aggressive form of canine cancer.

Clinicians at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies believe the drug, called tigilanol tiglate, could “transform” the care of oral melanomas in dogs, as well as providing benefits for humans.

The drug is derived from berries of the blushwood tree that is only found in parts of Queensland, Australia.

Manufactured by QBiotics, which is funding the trial, the drug is already used to treat other forms of canine cancer and will initially be piloted in eight dogs with oral melanoma.

Significant step

Project leaders plan to recruit more dogs if initial results are encouraging and Kelly Blacklock, professor of small animal soft tissue surgery at the Royal (Dick), believes the trial offers a “significant step forward”.

She said: “If successful, this treatment could transform the way we approach cancer therapy in veterinary medicine, sparing many dogs from the need for surgery.

“We encourage pet owners with dogs diagnosed with oral melanoma to consider participating in this trial.

“Your involvement could not only contribute to advancing treatment options for this challenging disease, but also help improve the quality of life for dogs in the future.”

Human benefits

It is also hoped that the trial could aid human treatments too, as canine oral melanomas are known to share common features with human mucosal melanomas, including symptoms typically only becoming visible when the disease is already at an advanced stage.

Prof Blacklock said: “By harnessing the power of a naturally derived compound, we aim to offer new hope to dogs suffering from this aggressive disease, and potentially gain insights that could benefit human medicine as well.”

Any owners whose dogs may be eligible for the trial are advised to consult their vet who can then contact Prof Blacklock.