Clinical Trials
Welcome to a resource for information on current research trials in veterinary oncology.
The following links represent an organized effort to provide general practitioners and their pet owners access to information to trials being conducted across the United States and, in some cases, in other countries.
- Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University
- Auburn University
- Cornell University
- Animal Clinical Investigation
- The Animal Medical Center
- Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists
- Hope Veterinary Specialists
- National Cancer Institute
- North Carolina State University
- The Ohio State University
- Red Bank Veterinary Hospital
- University of California-Davis
- University of Illinois
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri
- The Veterinary Cancer Center
- Tufts University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Wisconsin
- Veterinary Cancer Care P.C.
- Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology
Clinical Research Trial Overview
Clinical trials may involve novel diagnostic methods or therapies including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical procedures, hypo- or hyperthermia, immunotherapy and photodynamic therapy, among others. While most clinical research trials are conducted at colleges of veterinary medicine, a growing number of specialty referral practices are participating in clinical research. For some trials, all visits must occur at the trials institution or practice, but for others there are tests or procedures that could be performed at the general practice. When discussing the possibility of participating in a clinical trial with pet owners, it is helpful to share that although “experimental,” or “investigational,” the safety and efficacy of new therapies and procedures have often been evaluated first in laboratory animals as well as normal dogs or cats, and the therapy is considered to be of potential benefit to the patient.
Reminder for veterinarians managing pets enrolled in clinical trials
Adherence to the treatment protocol is of vital importance to ensure that the protocol is followed as planned, such that the results are both reliable and meaningful. Any deviation in the pet’s health or management (including medications and supplements) must be reported to the trials institution. For most trials, owners are asked to agree to a necropsy in the event of the death of their pet. Pet owners also may appreciate the translational value of the research in which their pet may be participating. Many naturally-occurring cancers in pet animals closely resemble human cancer and provide meaningful systems for cancer research to benefit both man and animals.
The clinical trials listed on this website are not run under the auspices of the Veterinary Cancer Society. Clinical trials are performed in order to assess the toxicity and/or efficacy of a certain treatment protocol. While the hope is that the investigators will find a less toxic or more effective treatment for cancer, there are no guarantees regarding the outcome of any trials listed on clinical searchable database found on this site.