Breakthrough treatment for brain tumors
The Neurology/Neurosurgery service at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine is currently collaborating with the Winship Institute at Emory University, in Atlanta, to evaluate a novel treatment for brain tumors in dogs and people.
As dogs and people are affected by the same types of devastating brain tumors, it is likely that a therapy that helps dogs will also help people. The new treatment involves slowly infusing a chemotherapy drug, proven to be safe, into the brain tumor using breakthrough technology called “convection enhanced delivery,” or CED.
As of January 2013, five dogs have been treated and completely funded by collaboration with The Boo Radley Foundation. Dedicated to the support of clinical trials advancing the treatment of brain tumors in dogs and people, the Boo Radley Foundation ultimately wants to focus on facilitating the participation of dog owners and their pets in collaborative trials by funding travel, accommodation and patient follow-up.
Without Ken Johnson and the generous funding his organization has supplied, this trial would not have gotten off the ground and these dogs would not have had the benefit of the potentially breakthrough treatment. Ken has worked tirelessly in his support of UGA’s groundbreaking study, and has developed truly amazing relationships with all of the clients.
What can you do to help?
- If you have a canine patient with brain disease, please consider referring the dog to the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital for an MRI-based workup.
- If you have a dog with a confirmed glioma, please contact Dr. Simon Platt, who can speak to your client.
- Tell your clients that there are options for brain tumor treatment of their dogs.
- Please consider donating the Boo Radley Foundation.
For further information on the clinical trial, email Dr. Simon Platt at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
Update: In January 2013, the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and Emory University announced that the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, Inc., had awarded a 3-year grant to Dr. Platt and his collaborator at Emory, Dr. Costas Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD, to enable them to continue this clinical trial for dogs that suffer from gliomas. Click here to read the press release.
