The goal of this project is to develop a reliable, accessible, and actionable test to identify dogs at risk for hemangiosarcoma during the earliest stages of the disease and to use a strategic, rationally designed approach to prevent its occurrence in these high-risk dogs before it becomes clinically detrimental and life-threatening.
The study has two objectives.
- The first is to determine the most reasonable duration of an SOS test result. In other words, how long can a low-risk SOS test result be trusted and how much time might elapse between a high-risk SOS test result and the development of hemangiosarcoma.
- The second aim is to continue periodic testing for dogs previously enrolled in the Shine-On study whose test result would have placed them in a high-risk category for the development of hemangiosarcoma and to provide eBAT as a strategy for prevention in 12 of these dogs.
To complete the first objective, we are conducting surveys to determine the health status of every dog enrolled in Shine-On phase-3 (the early detection phase) at 6-month intervals. This effort will continue throughout the duration of the study.
To complete the second objective, we have continued serial testing (2-3 times per year) in a subset of approximately 45 dogs enrolled in the original study. Dogs assigned to the high-risk category that do not have a detectable tumor are eligible for eBAT prevention. Several dogs have completed screening, but so far, all of the dogs assigned to the high-risk category that completed screening were diagnosed with existing tumors. At this time, sixteen dogs are scheduled or in process to be scheduled for additional screening at the University of Minnesota. Dogs that do not have a detectable tumor will be eligible for eBAT prevention.
Mid-Year-2 Research Update Dr. Modiano following up participants in shine-on hemangiosarcoma study.
