\u201cComparative oncology allows us to conduct studies of cancer in pet animals that help the pets and help us to learn things that impact human cancer research,\u201d Knapp said. \u201cIt\u2019s a rare case of win-win-win. The pet benefits, the next 100 animals benefit and that knowledge also helps humans with cancer.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Knapp is one of a team of comparative oncologists at the\u00a0Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center<\/a>, which opened a year ago at Purdue\u2019s College of Veterinary Medicine and builds on a comparative oncology program established in 1979. She is also the associate director of clinical comparative oncology at the\u00a0Purdue Institute for Cancer Research<\/a>, where many of the other researchers also work.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Maximizing health benefits: one size doesn\u2019t fit all<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The team chooses their research topics strategically for the maximum suspected benefit to individual pets as well as for overall cancer knowledge. Areas of research include work on bladder cancer; lymphoma; and osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, all of which have similar progressions in dogs and humans. Other researchers are working on high-energy treatments called tumor ablations that allow them to safely and effectively shrink tumors without surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n They also partner with other experts outside the center, working closely with other researchers at Purdue including engineers, computer scientists and physicists.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe are moving toward a more personalized, proactive approach to addressing cancer,\u201d Knapp said. \u201cAnd one of the best ways to do that is to study dog breeds who are prone to certain kinds of cancer. We can improve treatments and protocols much more efficiently when we\u2019re working with a breed we already know tends to be prone to certain kinds of cancer.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Knapp used this method to study\u00a0early detection methods for bladder cancer in Scottish terriers<\/a>, who get bladder cancer as much as 20 times more frequently than other dog breeds. Using that knowledge, her team was able to study early detection and prevention methods \u2014 methods that could translate to human patients as that form of bladder cancer is similar to a form found in humans.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThe progression of cancer in dogs is much more similar to humans than it would be in rodents,\u201d Knapp said. \u201cSo we are able to treat pet dogs who are sick while at the same time learning to help both dogs and people.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A new center, a new hope<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The team also tackles osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer that is often devastating in humans but common in large-breed dogs. Dr.\u00a0Michael Childress<\/a>, professor of comparative oncology and a board-certified oncology specialist, serves as a researcher in the\u00a0Tyler Trent Pediatric Cancer Research Center<\/a>\u00a0within the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research, studying how to strategically match medicines to an individual patient\u2019s cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cFor cancers like osteosarcoma, it\u2019s very rare in humans, so it can be difficult to study,\u201d Childress said. \u201cBut unfortunately, it\u2019s very common in large-breed dogs like Great Danes and Rottweilers. What I am most focused on is trying to find ways to \u2014 very, very quickly \u2014 identify which drug is going to work best for which patient and which patient is going to respond best to which drug.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Childress and his team\u00a0use tools like Doppler radar<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 more famous for predicting summer storms \u2014 and AI to gain insight into why some patients respond to drugs while others don\u2019t. Solving that mystery could help treat patients, both canine and human, faster while prolonging their quality of life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Around Indiana and the entire Midwest \u2014 and sometimes from across the United States \u2014 veterinarians refer dogs suspected of having cancer to the veterinarians at the Werling Center. They receive the best treatment through the newest ideas and technologies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThe Werling Center is special because it came out of the community, and it\u2019s made from the community,\u201d Knapp said. \u201cIt grew out of a very special relationship with the Werlings, Sue Ann and Evan. They had a dog named Brandi who had bladder cancer. She participated in two of our clinical trials and out of that grew a friendship and this partnership with the Werlings. They were fascinated by what we do and wanted to help.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The dogs\u2019 families often build relationships with the veterinarians and the staff. A statue of Brandi greets everyone as they walk through the doors of the Werling Center. And once they\u2019re inside, there are more kindred spirits. Dr.\u00a0Marejka Shaevitz,<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0a board-certified clinical assistant professor of oncology at the Werling Center and Section Chief for oncology at the Purdue Veterinary Hospital helps coordinate the Werling Center\u2019s clinical research studies. She is a cancer survivor herself, and her two cherished golden retrievers were also treated for cancer. She emphasizes the fundamental connection between human and canine cancer, both from the medical and psychological perspectives.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cOncology is one of the most exciting fields in terms of how we can have a direct impact on helping dogs feel better, while also making huge strides in cancer therapy for both humans and dogs,\u201d Shaevitz said. \u201cI know from experience that living well with cancer is not only possible, but important. We want that for our dogs and for humans.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIt is a special privilege to care for animals with cancer because you form a bond not only with the animals but with their family,\u201d Knapp said. \u201cIt\u2019s such a scary, vulnerable time. And while you\u2019re trying to help them, you\u2019re also helping others. It makes the scary time feel maybe not so dark. It means so much to be able to make a difference to these pets and pet owners.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_6597-copy2-1024x960.jpg\")
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