A family is over the moon because their dog has been cured of a rare type of cancer after receiving treatment at The University of Queensland in Australia.
The Rottweiler named Griffin was diagnosed with T cell lymphoma in December 2017 and was given only 12 weeks to live.
After the diagnosis Dr. Rachel Allavena from The University of Queensland and her Ph.D. student Annika Oksa got Griffin enrolled in a trial that had already successfully cured many canines suffering from cancer.
Dr. Allavena said that the treatment program involved waking up the subject’s immune system and supporting the animal’s own body to fight off the disease.
Chemotherapy was not a feasible option for Griffin because his waste could turn toxic. Griffin’s owner, Adam, was a father of a young girl who was fond of spending time in the backyard, and a dog with poisonous waste could be dangerous to her. Therefore the treatment that was administered in the trial was most suited to Griffin.
Dr. Oksa said that the novel method of immunotherapy being applied in the trial had been able to treat cancer in more than 170 canines without any side effects. Dr. Oksa added that the treatment had the potential to work well both with chemotherapy and could also give excellent results on its own.
The staff at The University of Queensland is currently extremely excited to be able to expand the number of dogs that they can help and send back home healthy and happy.
Adam said that he was glad that this particular medical trial existed, and his dog was saved. Adam’s daughter now has her best friend back, and Adam is also delighted to have the family dog back with his regained health.
The treatment was a gift to Adam and his family, with no costs involved.
Image source: University Of Queensland via PHYS ORG
