Our mission is to study and treat cancer in companion animals. In so doing, our work facilitates numerous opportunities for valuable comparative cancer investigations that can also contribute to improving human health. Our mission is supported by a three-pronged approach with efforts committed to discovery, translational investigation, and contemporary clinical care for companion animals with cancer.   

Discovery

  • Decipher mechanisms associated with malignant transformation in cancer in pet animals
  • Increase our understanding of dysregulated processes in cancer cells:
    • promote identification of new treatment opportunities
    • explain/understand why things don't work
    • develop rational basis to explore novel therapeutic concepts through basic investigation of biological systems
  • Efforts supported through the oncology research laboratory

Translational Investigation

  • Address critical problems in veterinary clinical oncology
    • immediate need to improve the standard of care
    • improve laboratory cancer diagnostics: cell based, molecular, biomarkers
  • Evaluate promising new treatments for human cancer patients in companion animal cancer
    • expand treatment options and improve health of animals with cancer
    • increase our understanding of the treatment for humans in natural animal models

Clinical Care

  • Provide state-of-the-art care for companion animals with cancer in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital
    • a resource for accurate information about animal cancer for pet owners and referring veterinarians
    • clarify treatment options for pet owners
    • coordinated medical and surgical oncology services
    • enroll animal cancer patients in clinical trials that evaluate new treatment:
      • state-of-the-art tumor imaging;
      • 64-slice CT scanner;
      • intraoperative radiotheray system
      • nuclear scintigraphy;
      • osteosarcoma limb-spare surgery

Personnel

Surgical Oncology

Gastrointestinal Oncology

Clinical Pathology

Anatomic Pathology

Oncology Research Laboratory

 

 

Strategic Alliances

Oregon State University 

Siva Kolluri
Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology
Reasearch Interest: aryl hydrocarbon receptors as cancer triggers

Russell Turner
Health & Human Sciences
Bone Research Laboratory
Reseach Interest: osteosarcoma

Urszula T. Iwaniec
Health & Human Sciences
Bone Research Laboratory
Research Interest: osteosarcoma

Claudia Maier
Department of Chemistry, Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry

Research Interest: cancer proteomics

Kathryn A. Higley
Department Head
Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Physics
Research Interest: linear accelerator development, radiation dosimetry

Mark Leid
College of Pharmacy
Research Interest: retinoic acid (RAR) and retinoid X (RXR) receptors     

Oregon Health & Science University

Brian J. Druker
Director

Charles R. Thomas, Jr.
Chair
Radiation Medicine
Research Interest: radiation oncology

University of Minnesota

Jaime F. Modiano
Perlman Professor of Oncology and Comparative Medicine Director, Animal Cancer Center
Research Interest: angiogeneisis, malignant endothelial cell transformation (hemangiosarcoma) and cancer immunotherapy