Canine Bone Marrow Transplant/Canine Lymphoma

[CoolDog]

Sandy, you know as 'wvvdiup1" sent this to me and asked me to post this article for you, because she thought ya'll might be interested.

North Carolina State University (NC) College of Veterinary Medicine

Oncology
Canine Bone Marrow Transplant

Canine lymphoma is one of the most common types of cancer in dogs. While the survival rate with current treatments is extremely low (about 0 to 2 percent) the cure rate for dogs that have received a bone marrow transplant is at least 30 percent.
The relatively new procedure involves the use of leukaphoresis machines that are designed to harvest healthy stem cells from the peripheral blood. The machines are used in conjunction with drug therapy to harvest stem cells that have left the patient's bone marrow and entered the bloodstream. The harvested cancer-free cells are then reintroduced into the patient after total body radiation is used to kill residual cancer cells left in the body. This treatment is called peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
The harvesting procedure itself takes six hours and the patient remains in the hospital for two weeks following the procedure. The bone marrow transplant process is completely painless for dogs, although the dogs do experience some GI distress, manifested mainly as diarrhea, from the total body radiation.

VIDEO

Dogs suffering from lymphoma are now able to receive the same medical treatment as their human counterparts through a new bone marrow transplant procedure offered by the Veterinary Health Complex at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
NC State’s CVM is the first veterinary program in the nation to offer canine bone marrow transplants in a clinical setting.
The relatively new procedure involves the use of Leukophoresis machines—the same equipment used in human medicine—that are designed to harvest healthy stem cells from the peripheral blood. The machines are used in conjunction with drug therapy to harvest stem cells that have left the patient's bone marrow and entered the bloodstream.

Canine Bone Marrow Transplants: Making Our Best Friend Better

Dogs suffering from lymphoma are now able to receive the same medical treatment as their human counterparts through a new bone marrow transplant procedure offered by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. See NC State video.
The relatively new procedure involves the use of Leukophoresis machines—the same equipment used in human medicine—that are designed to harvest healthy stem cells from the peripheral blood. The machines are used in conjunction with drug therapy to harvest stem cells that have left the patient's bone marrow and entered the bloodstream.
Harvested cancer-free cells are then reintroduced into the patient after total body radiation is used to kill residual cancer cells left in the body. This treatment is called peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
“Canine lymphoma is one of the most common types of cancer in dogs,” says Dr. Steven Suter, assistant professor of oncology. “While the survival rate with current treatments is extremely low—about 0 to 2 percent—the cure rate for dogs that have received a bone marrow transplant is at least 30 percent. We see from human medicine that peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, in conjunction with chemotherapy, has raised human survival rates considerably.”
The harvesting procedure itself takes six hours and the patient remains in the hospital for two weeks following the procedure. The bone marrow transplant process is completely painless for dogs, although the dogs do experience some GI distress, manifested mainly as diarrhea, from the total body radiation.
“This is not a new technology, it’s just a new application of an existing technology” says Dr. Suter. “Doctors have been treating human patients with bone marrow transplantation for many years, and there have been canine patient transplants performed in a research setting for about 20 years, but it’s never been feasible as a standard therapy until now.”
The canine bone marrow transplant unit has attracted international interest.

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http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/vhc/tc/clinical ... plant.html

[Erica]

NC State is a pretty short drive from where I am. I've only ever heard good things about their vet program! Glad to hear their research is turning up treatments!

[wvvdiup1]

Good, she posted the article...

I hear the researchers do really good work there, too, and someday, when possibly all the cures by anyone helps save lives on animals, will help save lives of people.

[Nettle]

Let's get some stats on survival rates before we get too excited. I just had a cousin die after a long and dreadful series of bone marrow transplants. He knew what was going on and took an informed decision but dogs don't have that option.

Sometimes for animals it's kinder to have a shorter life with better quality.

[bendog]

Vet treatment is nearly always a few steps behind human medicine.

But having seen the affects of chemo and radiation on people then it's something I would be reluctant to try for myself never mind my dog, unless the survival rates were extremely good.

"total body radiation" - whilst physically painless, also causes many many side effects such as sickness, tiredness etc.
Plus for a dog, 2 weeks in hospital without their owner, most likely shut in a small kennel or cage?
And a 6 hour operation! This is a lot for a dog to cope with, even if he or she recovers, it will be a traumatic experience to get over.

In humans the success of any oncology treatment is usually based on 5 year survival stats. With dogs, I guess the equivalent would be at least survival rates for 1 or 2 years beofre they can claim success.

[Suzette]

Let's get some stats on survival rates before we get too excited. I just had a cousin die after a long and dreadful series of bone marrow transplants. He knew what was going on and took an informed decision but dogs don't have that option.

Sometimes for animals it's kinder to have a shorter life with better quality.

My thoughts exactly.

[wvvdiup1]

In respect to Nettle's, Bendog's, and Suzette's post, may I remind you dogs don't see or feel the way we do about treatment. Nettle, I'm sorry to hear about your cousin's passing and how he went through bone-marrow treatment, but as an onlooker I can understand. However, I'm not an onlooker but have went through this myself years ago, when battling leukemia at an early age, and going through it is definitely painful. But if it gives me as a person the chance to reverse it and live, as most animal species would prefer to survive, I would do and have done it.

Of course, I'm speaking as a human being. When it comes deciding on giving my dog a chance, obviously I would consider my dog's age first. If my dog is young enough with the better chance of surviving it and reversing any type of cancer, I would jump at the chance to do so. Otherwise, like many of you, I think I would let the last days of dog's life be comfortable, calm, and loving, just as I would like if I had to go through this again.

I don't like to see animals being used as "test subjects" in any scientific study. However, if what those animals go through help us humans and our pets to stay healthy or help find cures for diseases, disorders, and cancer, let not their lives be in vain. Many of us on this forum said at one time or another of how our dogs have taught us, let this be something more they can teach us.