How FidoCure Research is Rewriting the Rules for Dogs with Hemangiosarcoma

Pet parents who hear the devastating diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma (HSA) in their beloved dogs face a grim timeline and limited options. Known as one of the deadliest canine cancers, HSA makes veterinarians' hearts sink when they discover it during examination.

But groundbreaking research from FidoCure, recently published in Nature Scientific Reports, rewrites this narrative and offers new hope for dogs battling this aggressive cancer.

Understanding Hemangiosarcoma

HSA in dogs arises from blood vessel lining cells. The cancer hijacks the normal circulatory system while constructing its own defective vascular architecture. These poorly formed vessels are structurally weak and prone to rupture, frequently resulting in sudden internal hemorrhaging. This dual process of invading existing vessels while generating fragile new ones facilitates the cancer's rapid metastasis throughout multiple organs.

One of the greatest challenges with HSA is late detection. By the time most dogs show symptoms, the disease has often spread silently and rapidly throughout the body. Current standard treatments have limitations. Chemotherapy, for example, while valuable, requires specialized handling and administration, which can limit its accessibility to many dogs who may otherwise benefit from it.

With over 6 million dogs diagnosed with cancer annually in the U.S., and HSA one of the most aggressive forms killing a dog every two minutes, better treatment options remain urgently needed.

Breaking New Ground in Canine Oncology

We worked in collaboration with Stanford University AI researchers to analyze data from 508 dogs with splenic HSA. It’s the largest clinical genomic study using AI to analyze cancer treatment outcomes in dogs based on tumor genetic makeup. 

Here's what we discovered:

1. Targeted therapies based on a dog's specific tumor genetics significantly improve survival times. The use of targeted therapies drove a 1.8-fold improvement in median survival compared to surgery alone; when combined with chemotherapy, this improvement increased to 2.6-fold.
2. We identified specific genetic mutations that serve as reliable predictors of both survival outcomes and treatment response. Mutations in PTEN, for example, were highly predictive of poor survival, while tumors with NRAS activating mutations had better survival outcomes.
3. This study provides rationale and proof of concept that canine HSA can be used as a preclinical “model” for the human correlate, angiosarcoma. This rare cancer poses challenges due to limitations in patient recruitment, and mice models are not predictive. However, canine trials can inform human drug programs, advancing treatments and biomarkers for both species. FidoCure has already played a role in human angiosarcoma alongside global pharmaceutical company Eisai.

For pet parents, this research translates to real-world hope. Options can now go beyond the current limited choices of surgery alone, distant specialty care, or declining treatment entirely, to reshape veterinary oncology as a whole.

The Wider Impact

Only about 10% of veterinary cancer cases ever receive specialty care. This isn't due to lack of veterinary expertise, but rather to structural challenges in cancer treatment delivery, specifically chemotherapy. 

Gaining insights into the specific mutations driving a dog's survival outcomes allows FidoCure veterinarians to assist local veterinarians in better identifying, and therefore better treating, individual cancers, often with FidoCure-provided oral targeted therapies. These are both more comfortable and accessible for dogs and pet parents, and can also offer extended survival with a higher quality of life.

Additionally, canine HSA is a common malignancy that can serve as a model for human angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. What we learn from treating dogs could help inform treatments for this challenging human cancer, where drug costs are high and available patient populations from which to gather data are low. We hope to use our research to accelerate the development of safe and effective treatments for patients at both ends of the leash.

The Road Ahead

This study marks our second major publication on hemangiosarcoma. Our first, published in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, was recognized as one of the Top 10 Most-Cited Articles of 2023. Together, these studies provide some of the most comprehensive real-world data available for HSA.

As our understanding of HSA and how to best treat it grows, a diagnosis no longer automatically means a rapid decline with no options. Instead, it opens the door to a personalized treatment journey that could mean an extended, high-quality life with your furry family member.

That’s why we continue to push at the edge of canine cancer research. So that every hour we spend on analysis offers new hope to the millions diagnosed each year and the families who love them.