Studying Hemangiosarcoma Subtypes and Treatment Response

Research suggests that hemangiosarcoma, a deadly cancer in dogs, is not one disease but made up of many different subtypes. The team found that dogs with one type of HSA are more likely to live longer than dogs that have a different type of HSA. This may explain why current treatments fail to help most dogs with HSA live longer despite aggressive care. To address this issue, researchers will identify the HSA type or signature in tumors from dogs that have lived longer than other dog patients with HSA. The team is using data from a study in progress to inform their evaluation of archived tissues to assess prevalence and survival. They hope their findings will help uncover the best treatment options for individual dogs with specific types of HSA and improve outcomes for this challenging canine cancer.