Cancer

To report a cancer diagnosis to the Cancer Committee: Please complete the PWDCA Cancer Questionnaire and return it to the address noted on the form.

If you would like to speak with anyone on the committee, please feel free to contact any of the committee members at the phone number in the Membership Directory.

Health Condition:

Cancer is a condition common to all dogs, not just Portuguese Water Dogs. It is commonly fatal, depending on the type of cancer and how early it is detected. Treatment frequently consists of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, nutritional support and homeopathies.

Why the PWDCA is addressing this:

Cancer is currently the number one cause of death of the Portuguese Water Dogs. It is also currently the number one non-traumatic killer of dogs in general.

How the PWDCA is dealing with this:

The PWDCA will continue to support ongoing cancer research in the hope it will someday lead to answers to or treatments for canine cancers. The PWDCA and the Cancer Committee will be looking to raise funds to continue supporting outside research.

What the PWDCA is doing:

The PWDCA is supporting cancer research through a variety of organizations, such as:

• Dr. Jaime Modiano VMP, PhD. is working on a project that is looking at treatment and a test for the early detection of Hemangiosaracoma. Dr. Modiano is in need of blood and tissue samples from dogs affected with hemangiosarcoma for his research. In the event that your dog is suspected of having hemangiosarcoma, please have your vet contact Dr. Modiano’s lab at 612-626-6890. If time allows, they will send supplies and complete instructions to your vet for the collection of the tissue to be used in their research. They will provide your vet with a pathology report for the tumor samples provided to them. More information on this research can be found at Modiano Lab at the University of Minnesota . Dr. Modiano provided the PWDCA with an article that describes the current knowledge of Hemangiosarcoma and it was published in the January/February 2007 issue of the Courier — the Official Publication of the PWDCA, and the full text of this article is available at Modiano Lab Selected Publications .
  Information on how to submit a tissue sample: www.modianolab.org/studyInfo/documents/HSASamplesubmissioninfo.pdf
• The Georgie Project is an autopsy project participation. The PWDCA, along with owners who have generously made their dogs health information available, is working to unlock information regarding cancer in the Portuguese Water Dog. This effort involves more than 600 Portuguese Water Dogs and has been in existence since 1996. The Georgie Project is a collaboration between owners and breeders of Portuguese Water Dogs and scientists at the University of Utah and is named in memory of Georgie, a Portuguese Water Dog that died of an autoimmune disease. To learn how to participate in these studies, you can visit the web site at http://www.georgieproject.com .

Current Funding Status:

The PWDCA and its members continue to help fund important research projects with the hope of helping to finding some answers to the treatment and/or prevention of cancer in our dogs.

• The Portuguese Water Dog Foundation, Inc. is involved in providing funds for cancer and other health research. Contributions to the Foundation are needed to help fund this research. To view the research grants that have been funded go to the Foundation’s web site at http://www.pwdfoundation.org .
• Debbie Bender, who has lost two of her dogs to hemangiosarcoma, is currently raising funds for cancer research. You can purchase a variety of wonderful items from her web site, Calimel Cares, with all net profits going to cancer research. To support this fund raising effort, go the site for the Portuguese Water Dog Foundation web site at http://www.pwdfoundation.org and Click on the "Other Links" Tab on the left side of the page or copy the following web address: www.cafepress.com/calimel.
• The PWDCA has approved that 50% of the Basket Raffle proceeds from the 2006 and the 2007 National Specialties be designated to the cancer fund.

Other Important References – Articles, Books, Research Projects, Websites:

• "Pets Living With Cancer: A Pet Owner’s Resource" by Robin Downing
• Modiano Lab of the University of Minnesota. This site has quite a bit of useful information and links to other sites: www.modianolab.org
• Information on how to submit a tissue sample - www.modianolab.org/studyInfo/documents/HSASamplesubmissioninfo.pdf
• The American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation. For detailed information on active and completed research projects see their web site at www.akcchf.org
• Guide to Internet Resources for Cancer--Cancer in Animals--Veterinary Oncology: www.cancerindex.org/clinks30.htm
• American Veterinary Medical Association: www.avma.org
• VetInfo-A Veterinary Information Service: www.vetinfo.com
• Colorado State University—Researchers at the University are looking for dogs that have cancer to participate in a study to make chemotherapy more powerful. People interested in having their dog participate in the cancer drug trial should contact the Animal Cancer Center in Fort Collins at: www.csuanimalcancercenter.org
• American Animal Hospital Association—2006 Vaccination Guidelines: www.aahanet.org
• The Golden Retriever Club whose dogs are also affected by cancer has a very informative website. Look under their Health Section-"Health Concerns" & "Ongoing Research" for information regarding Lymphoma and Hemangiosarcoma. Most informative is the Hemangiosarcoma FAQ’s. View the website at www.grca.org

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Last Edited:  February 22, 2010