Insights from Prospective Studies in Canine Hemangiosarcoma

Presentation Description / Summary: The mission of Ethos Discovery, a non-profit incubator of scientific innovation, is to improve outcomes in human and veterinary patients with complex medical problems. To advance this mission, one of Discovery’s first priorities was to deliver curative outcomes to dogs with hemangiosarcoma, arguably the most aggressive cancer (i.e., the ogre of all cancers) seen in veterinary oncology. The interest in addressing this unmet need was strongly endorsed by all disciplines of veterinarians charged with identifying unmet needs like this for Ethos Discovery to tackle, including primary care and emergency doctors, cardiologists, radiologists, criticalists, surgeons, and oncologists. The Ethos Precision Medicine Umbrella Study for Hemangiosarcoma (PUSH) is a 5-year, 400 dog nationwide, prospective, randomized study of canine hemangiosarcoma that links patient-forward correlative clinical research and laboratory efforts focused on comparative tumor biology, genomics and epigenomics. The goals of our comprehensive ongoing Ethos Discovery Hemangiosarcoma Research Program are to address the gaps related to our understanding of the molecular etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of this devastating cancer in dogs, and more broadly includes: (1) creating translational knowledge from genomic and epigenomic correlative research, (2) blood-based tests (liquid biopsy) to assess burden of disease, and (3) accelerating drug development in the context of rigorous prospective clinical trials. In this presentation we will share our progress and review preliminary findings from the high level evidence Ethos-PUSH clinical trial which suggests that there is more hope for patients than we were led to believe.

Learner Outcomes: 1. Review the conventional perspectives of hemangiosarcoma management and learn how Ethos Discovery is addressing the gaps related to our understanding of the molecular etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of hemangiosarcoma in dogs through the prospective, nationwide, high quality evidentiary Ethos-PUSH clinical trial. 2. Appreciate novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of canine hemangiosarcoma, including combination strategies involving targeted therapeutics and cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. 3. Summarize blood-based liquid biopsy diagnostics for monitoring of minimal residual disease in canine hemangiosarcoma. 4. Attendees will learn more about dynamic processes that lend to heterogeneity in cancer, cancer progression, and therapy resistance from the perspective of canine hemangiosarcoma.