Fido’s Fetching for a Cure: Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy

Michelle Chen
Intern Mentor

Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that boosts the body’s natural immune
defenses in order to locate and destroy cancerous cells. A large majority of immunotherapy
clinical trials have occured on canines with cancers ranging from osteosarcoma to melanoma.
Immunotherapy works to alert the body of cancerous cells and uses antibodies to kill the
cancerous cells. Research indicates that various methods of immunotherapy treatment have been
proven to reduce cancerous tumors, remove the masses altogether, and prevent the
metastasization of cancer cells. Immunotherapy is especially useful because it can be
administered in inoperable areas of the body and has very little side effects. The purpose of this
research is to support the theory that immunotherapy is one of the more superior forms of cancer
treatments available to canines. It’s efficacy is high, it’s risk is low, and it can improve the
overall quality of life for canines diagnosed with cancer. In analyzing current journals and
articles associated with immunotherapy clinical trials, the theory can be supported in all
categories.