Research Focus:
Our mission is to end cancer.
The statistics are alarming!
1-in-2 men and 1-in-3 women are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and the incidence of childhood cancers is rising, according to the Coalition Against Childhood Cancers.
Too many still succumb to metastatic disease and those who are survivors often have significant health related issues as side-effects of either the cancer or the treatment methods used to ensure their survival.
Some new treatments have increased HOPE for a better tomorrow…
However, 95% of new treatments never come to market either because they fail in clinical trial or because they take many years and billions of dollars to win approval. Some people have rare or what are called orphan cancers – the population affected isn’t large enough to reach conclusion about treatment effectiveness.
Because the most common cancers in our pet dogs are also very common in people, with a particular similarity to childhood cancer, deepening understanding of these naturally-occurring canine cancers allows researchers to more effectively discover new treatments for both pets and people. Our millions of beloved pets with cancer can be our best friends in discovering more scientific information to help us all.
OUR VISION
Since 1999, Animal Cancer Foundation has funded innovative research in comparative oncology to find a cure for the millions of pets and people with cancer and has been a facilitator of collaborative comparative oncology initiatives.
ACF Comparative Oncology Grant Awards: These are one-to-two year early funding awards granted to researchers in comparative oncology whose work shows promise to deliver near-term benefit to pets with cancer and the potential to translate to human cancer research. Emphasis is given to research in the crucial start-up phase in order to establish proof-of-concept that allows the team to attract additional phase funding from other sources.
The Canine Cancer Genome Project (CCGP) sponsored by Blue Buffalo Foundation is modeled after The Cancer Genome Atlas in people to map the genomes of the seven most common canine cancers and to place the datasets in the public domain for use by all cancer researchers. The datasets will allow researchers to identify druggable targets specific to individual cancer (personalized medicine) to create more effective, less toxic treatment for cancer. At the same time, information may emerge that allows researchers to recommend preventive strategies for pet and human cancer.
Meetings and Symposia Sponsorship: Opportunities to bring cancer researchers from across specialty areas and institutions have allowed Animal Cancer Foundation to promote and advance the opportunities possible through comparative oncology. Over the years, ACF has been a sponsor of the Veterinary Cancer Society, the Veterinary Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, The Comparative Melanoma Tumor Board, Tufts Cancer Symposium and the National Academy of Science-Institute of Medicine Workshop: The Role of Clinical Studies for Pets with Naturally Occurring Tumors in Translational Cancer Research.
