How dogs are helping Purdue scientists discover better cancer treatments

Only 40% of cancer patients respond to chemotherapy.  With the help of some canine friends, scientists at Purdue have developed a new method to see how a patient’s body is responding to chemotherapy.  The treatment of cancer in dogs is almost identical to the treatment of cancer in humans.  Scientists at Purdue tested chemotherapy response in 19 dogs newly diagnosed with lymphoma using a new technology that allows doctors to see a map of the body’s response to treatment much like a weather map.  B-cell lymphoma in dogs is very similar to lymphoma in humans.

Less than half the patients diagnosed with cancer respond favorably to chemotherapy, but a new method for testing how patients will respond to various drugs could pave the way for more personalized treatment.

To read more about this research, visit the Purdue news here: New test could tell doctors whether patients will respond to chemotherapy – Purdue University