Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in dogs, with an incidence ten times higher in this species compared to humans. In the United States, it is estimated that 4 million dogs and cats develop cancer each year. Although cancer data are not always available, this scenario is not different in other countries. To improve patients’ care and develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, it is necessary to broaden our knowledge on the molecular aspects of the different cancer subtypes in companion animals.
Most recently, we have experienced unprecedented advances in more accessible molecular biology technologies even in veterinary oncology and, consequently, a dramatic improvement in diagnostic tests for cancer. Numerous publications have focused on molecular diagnosis and targeted therapies in the context of precision medicine. The use of large-scale molecular studies have provided an opportunity to understand the molecular basis of the different tumours in domestic animals and to apply this knowledge in the development of antitumor vaccines, specific anti-cancer monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors for treating different cancers in dogs and cats. Despite these advances, it is still challenging to determine which patient will benefit from specific treatments and, therefore, surgery and antineoplastic chemotherapy are still the main treatment modalities for oncological patients in veterinary medicine.
Another important feature of veterinary oncology is the comparative aspects with many tumours in domestic animals considered unique models to study neoplasms in humans. Animals develop spontaneous tumours with the same histological subtypes and similar molecular changes as in humans. Comparative Oncology has become such a paradigm in human cancer research that the US National Institute of Cancer, linked to the National Institute of Health (NIH), has created a specific program on Comparative Oncology, entirely dedicated to the comparative study of cancer in companion animals and humans.
This Article Collection welcomes Original Research and Review articles from investigators worldwide that will stimulate the continuing efforts to increase the knowledge of cancer therapy in dogs and cats, including:
- Approaches to and strategies for using personalized precision medicine based on the integration of genetic and epigenetics
- New therapeutical strategies to treat dogs and cats with cancer
- Identification of new markers for cancer diagnosis and treatment
- Identification of serum biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis
- Precision medicine applied to veterinary oncology
Dr. Carlos Fonseca-Alves completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at Federal University of Goias (2004-2008) and moved to Brasilia (the Brazilian Capital) to perform a Residency Program on Small Animal Internal Medicine at Faculty UPIS (2009-2011). After residency, Dr. Fonseca-Alves opted to work in the research field and moved to Sao Paulo State to complete his Master of Science (MSc) and PhD at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), both in the field of Veterinary Oncology. In early 2019, Dr. Fonseca-Alves worked in a postdoc position at the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Southern Denmark and became Assistant Professor in later 2019. Currently, Dr. Fonseca-Alves is an Associate professor at Paulista University – UNIP and has experience in Veterinary Medicine, focusing on Molecular and Comparative Oncology.
Disclosure Statement: Dr. Fonseca-Alves declares no conflicts of interest regarding this work.
