Detecting and Evaluating Treatment of Hemangiosarcoma Using a Newly Developed Testing Method

SUMMARY: Researchers will investigate whether their newly developed urine testing method, Raman molecular urinalysis (RMU), can detect signs of hemangiosarcoma (HSA).

THE PROBLEM: Hemangiosarcoma is a serious and almost universally fatal cancer of dogs. Despite decades of research, early diagnosis remains difficult. A cost-effective test that could not only detect the cancer in its early stages, but also be used to monitor therapy, could improve the odds for dogs diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma.

THE PROJECT: This study will assess whether RMU can detect a molecular “fingerprint” of hemangiosarcoma in urine. The team will use dogs known to have visceral (internal) hemangiosarcoma and then use those findings to monitor tumor growth, cancer spread and treatment effects, and maybe even catch early-stage cancer in at-risk dogs.

POTENTIAL IMPACT: A cost-effective test for early detection, screening and monitoring could significantly improve outcomes for dogs with hemangiosarcoma.