Dogs, thanks to their incredible sense of smell, can detect cancers at an early stage.
©MARTIN BUREAU / AFP
Man’s Best Friend
Thousands of pets develop tumors very similar to those found in humans, and dogs are no exception.
Atlantico: Every year, thousands of pets develop tumors very similar to those found in humans, and dogs are no exception. How can they become a secret weapon in the fight against cancer?
Alain Toledano: Dogs can play a crucial role in the fight against cancer in several ways. When afflicted with cancer, they can help us make diagnoses as a model for understanding the course and treatment in human beings. Additionally, certain dog breeds are more likely to develop certain types of cancer than humans. For example, osteosarcoma is more common in dogs. By studying these cases of cancer, we can better understand how they develop and respond to treatment. Veterinarians are increasingly collaborating with physicians, paving the way for significant advances in this area. Finally, we also know that dogs, thanks to their incredible sense of smell, can detect cancers at an early stage. The “cooperation” between humans and dogs therefore occurs at many levels.
What do dogs and humans have in common when it comes to oncology? Are there specific treatments that have been developed for dogs that could be used in humans?
Not only are many cancers similar in dogs and humans, but the response to some treatments can also be comparable. By treating these dogs, we can analyze the efficacy and toxicity of the treatments before administering them to humans, in order to use them in the best way. The reverse is also true: treatments that work in humans can be used to treat sick dogs. To date, many treatments are being developed. The animal pharmaceutical industry, particularly that involving dogs, is already well established, although still relatively small compared to the human medicine industry.
How can clinical trials on dogs speed up the process of researching and developing new cancer treatments?
When a cancer develops in the body, it should be fought by the immune system, in particular by the lymphocytes, white blood cells. We know that cancer cells succeed in weakening the immune system and mechanisms explain why it becomes tolerant to cancer instead of fighting it. It is from this understanding that immunotherapies have been developed, in order to break this failure and restore immunity. When certain breeds of dogs develop cancers similar to those of humans, we can study the biology of the tumor from more cases, which allows us to consider more possibilities for treatment or to circumvent this tolerance and this progression of the cancer.
Could dogs, in a few years, become at the center of research for the fight against cancer, like rats and mice?
The animal kingdom as a whole, and especially dogs, will play a central role in the fight against cancer. I mentioned osteosarcoma earlier, which is a fairly rare cancer. Studying this disease through animals is therefore very interesting. I think people don’t fully appreciate the impact of animal research. Applying a treatment or conducting an experiment on an animal is not abuse. On the contrary, it is “well-treatment”: it is obviously a question of treating the animal while acquiring knowledge that is beneficial for all of us. Likewise, the knowledge we have gained in humans can also be used to improve treatments in animals. So it’s a win-win!
