Our Programs and Priorities
Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an aggressive cancer in dogs and carries a poor prognosis. There are limited therapeutic options for the treatment of HSA, with none currently providing a significant opportunity for long-term survival. Inclusive of the common ER presentation, surgery, diagnostics/staging, and chemotherapy, HSA impacts numerous specialty services throughout a hospital and accordingly the unmet needs are recognized by all parts of the profession.
Through our previous work in hemangiosarcoma (Canine Hemangiosarcoma Molecular Profiling study) we now have new knowledge in HSA that allows truly innovative trials investigating its diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The collective data obtained from these planned studies will provide significant translational benefit for humans affected with a similar cancer, angiosarcoma.
Ethos Veterinary Health hospitals provide state-of-the-art clinical care to pets with complex medical problems in the setting of multi-specialty veterinary services.
Current and Upcoming Studies in the Hemangiosarcoma Program
- Ethos Precision Medicine Umbrella Study for Hemangiosarcoma (ePUSH)
- Rapamycin for the Treatment of Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs
- Sorafenib Study for the Treatment of Solid Tumors in Dogs
- Canine Hemangiosarcoma Precision Medicine and Liquid Biopsy Program (CHAMP)
Future Hemangiosarcoma Studies
- Hemangiosarcoma Liquid Biopsy
A liquid biopsy in cancer medicine refers to the detection of cancer-specific cellular or subcellular analytes that allow a cancer diagnosis to be made from blood rather than the traditional approach of requiring a tissue biopsy. There is a clear need for this innovation in the diagnosis and management of canine HSA, specifically to differentiate between benign and malignant disease when a dog is diagnosed with a splenic tumor rupture in the ER. There is value in such a test being able to predict prognosis and burden of disease as a reference lab offering. Preliminary analysis of tumor and blood DNA suggest both diagnostic assays may be reasonably developed for canine HSA patients; however, further innovations in device technology are needed to deliver a point of care test result, at this time. - Hemangiosarcoma Specialized Test for the Assessment of Molecular Prognosis (STAMP)
This tissue-based assay is based on our new understanding of Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) derived from the CHAMP study, which has defined this disease in at least four distinct genomic groups. Preliminary data suggests biologically distinct behaviors for these molecular subtypes and also provides a biological rationale for distinct therapeutic approaches for the subtypes (a focus of the ePUSH study). There is value to clinicians and clients to understand prognostic differences that may exist between patients and to select patient-specific treatment approaches (potentially supported by the ePUSH data). Collectively, the HSA STAMP provides an opportunity to develop a truly novel assay for clinicians managing dogs with this aggressive cancer. Upon scientific validation (proposed now) we predict this assay to be rapidly adopted within the standard of care diagnostic work up of this disease, initially as an integrated assay added to the existing pathology assessment of the tumor. Results of this study will then support the scientific prioritization of gene targets for the planned POC liquid biopsy diagnostic.
