Dr. Oglivie DVM has done research at Colorado State University on a cancer starving diet. You can read Dr. Ogilvie's paper, Nutrition and Cancer, or see an article about his research with information on homemade diets, Nutrition for Dogs with Cancer (see updated diets under Cancer Diet). See the article entitled Total Cancer Management in Small Animals for some good information on diet, supplements and alternative treatments for cancer.
Selenium is the only mineral known to have anti-tumorigenic and preventative properties. The NRC tripled their recommended daily amount in 2006, while AAFCO guidelines have not yet been changed. Too much selenium can be harmful, however. A safe supplemental dosage for both prevention and treatment of cancer would be 2 to 4 mcg per kg (1 to 2 mcg per pound) of body weight daily. For example, a 25 lb dog would benefit from 25 to 50 mcg selenium daily. Selenium works synergistically with vitamin E, so it is best to supplement these two nutrients together.
The supplement Berte's Immune Blend is based on the supplements recommended by Dr Oglivie. It contains vitamin C, bioflavonoids, vitamin E, selenium, l-glutamine and l-arginine (two amino acids he recommends, see below), digestive enzymes, pancreatin, acidolphilus, B complex, and vitamins A & D. The only thing you need to add is fish oil.
Recent research indicates that Bromelain, an enzyme that comes from pineapples, may have an anti-cancer effect. Bromelain is used with dogs as an anti-inflammatory and for many other conditions, and should be safe to give. It may work best when given away from meals.
Branch-chain amino acids (BCAA), e.g., leucine, isoleucine and valine, may help to counteract cancer cachexia, where the dog loses lean body mass despite consuming adequate calories. You can find branch-chain amino acid supplements made for people. A safe non-toxic dose of leucine for veterinary patients may be approximately 100 - 200 mg per kg (50-100 mg per pound) of body weight daily. For example, a 25 lb dog would get 1,250 to 2,500 mg leucine daily.
The amino acids L-Arginine and L-Glutamine may help inhibit
tumor growth. Glutamine can also help with muscle wasting (cachexia) that
may occur as well. See the following articles for more information:
Arginine in the Treatment
of Cancerous Tumors
Arginine
and Fish Oil May Help Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy
Therapeutic
Considerations of L-Glutamine: A Review of the Literature
The
Role of Glutamine in Oncology Therapy
Benefits of
the amino acid, L-Glutamine
Glutamine:
Indicated in Cancer Care?
Cartilage supplements may inhibit tumor growth. I heard one anecdotal report directly from someone with a toy poodle that had a major mass in his chest. After two bottles of Bovine Cartilage supplements, the mass was almost gone, and he went on to live another six years. Since cartilage is safe and inexpensive (and may help with arthritis as well), this one seems like it might be worth a try, though scientific support is negligible.
Supplements that support or stimulate the immune system, including antioxidants, are often recommended for cancer prevention and support. See Sensible Supplements for Immunonutrition for more info.
Supplements to give or avoid during chemotherapy or radiation
High doses of antioxidants should be avoided during chemotherapy, as they may actually help the cancer cells survive the treatment. Antioxidants include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, selenium, lipoic acid, and SAM-e. Discontinue use one week before chemotherapy treatment, and resume one week after the treatment has been completed.
Garlic may interfere with the body's ability to rid itself of toxic chemotherapy drugs.
A number of supplements can thin the blood and make bleeding more likely during surgery, or due to the reduction in platelets (thrombocytopenia) that can be caused by chemotherapy, or by bone cancer. Herbs that may need to be avoided include garlic, gensing, ginkgo, saw palmetto, red clover, German chamomile, dong guai, angelica root and white willow bark. In addition, fish oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, vitamin A, high-dose vitamin E, chondroitin, ginger, bromelain, MSM, alfalfa, hawthorne, meadowsweet, turmeric/curcumin, bilberry, feverfew, and some mushrooms all have the potential to thin the blood, though I have not seen specific recommendations to avoid them during cancer treatment. If in doubt, ask your vet.
Glucosamine, given as an oral rinse, helps to reduce mouth ulceration (stomatitis) caused by radiation to the head and neck. Glucosamine may also help to prevent intestinal and neurological side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Fish oil, such as salmon oil or EPA oil (not cod liver oil) helps to reduce cancer cachexia (weight loss due to cancer) and appears to increase the effects of chemotherapy.
See the following articles for more information.
Herb-Drug
Interactions for Cancer
Complementary
Medications and Chemotherapy Herbal Medications and Supplements (human
oriented)
Chemotherapy
(human oriented) -- scroll down to the sections on Safetychecker
Summary for Chemotherapy, Interactions
with Dietary Supplements, and Interactions
with Herbs.
Turmeric (curcumin)For more information on mast cell cancer, see Approach to Therapy for Canine Mast Cell Tumor:
I recently learned second hand of a dog with aggressive, metastasized Mast Cell cancer that had most of his tumors go away when given Curcumin (an extract from Turmeric). This is a spice used in curry that has been showing promising results in the prevention and treatment of cancer (it is also a natural anti-inflammatory). It works both by cutting off the blood supply to the growing tumor as well as causes tumor cell death (p53 mediated apoptosis). Recommended dosage of curcumin for treatment of cancer is 80 mg/kg/day (36 mg/lb/day), or 400 mg twice a day for a 25 lb dog., administered orally (the highest recommended dosage is 120 mg/kg/day, or 55 mg/lb/day, to avoid toxicity). Curcumin and Turmeric are available over the counter through health food stores. I understand that Emory School of Medicine is going to be doing further research. The information on the web is limited, but the article Antiangiogenic Agents: Studies on Fumagillin and Curcumin Analogs has a little more info. Curcumin is considered a naturally occurring chemopreventative agent. These articles on Curcumin and Turmeric have more information on its cancer preventative and treatment potential. Also see this article for a good overview of curcumin and turmeric.IP-6
IP-6 has been around for a long time and I haven't heard much in the way of reliable success stories, but I was contacted recently by someone whose dog had mast cell tumors recur after surgery, and whose tumors reduced substantially in size when she began supplementing with IP6. This dog did succomb to mast cell cancer about 5 months later, but she feels IP-6 helped to prolong his life, and might have done more had she started it sooner. The Cell Forte IP-6 and Inositol brand is recommended.
In June 2009, the FDAapproved a new drug for the treatment of mast cell tumors that recur after they have been surgically removed. See New Treatments below for additional information.
Lymphoma/Lymphosarcoma
Lymphoma is one cancer that is very responsive to chemotherapy, which
can induce remission for up to a year or even longer, but will not cure
the disease. Many people are reluctant to do chemotherapy for fear that
it will make their dogs feel awful, but most dogs tolerate the treatment
very well. Lower doses of chemotherapeutic drugs are used with dogs than
with people, so it doesn't affect them as strongly.
Prednisone can be used as a less expensive alternative to other chemotherapeutic agents, but the remission will be much shorter. It is important to understand that, "'Prednisone is a one-way street.' While many dogs will experience significant short-term improvement, the duration of that improvement is typically on the order of only 1-2 months, and prednisone appears to be a powerful inducer of chemotherapy resistance. In other words, multi-agent chemotherapy is much less likely to be efficacious if a patient has come out of remission after treatment with prednisone alone." (from Advances in Treatment for Canine Lymphoma, Part 2). Veterinary Partner concurs, saying, "Exposure to prednisone will make the lymphoma much more difficult to diagnose should biopsies be obtained later. Plus exposure to prednisone can lead to resistance to other medications. (This is less of a problem for cats, but in dogs even a few days of prednisone can make a lasting remission impossible to achieve.)"
Diet and supplements can help with this form of cancer. "Research conducted at Colorado State University' Veterinary Teaching Hospital supports that high protein and lower carbohydrate diets, associated with higher levels of healthy fatty acids, including fish oil fatty acids in high dosages, and supplemental arginine, has shown statistically significant improvement in survival times in canine lymphoma patients." (Integrative Veterinary Medicine). A high dosage of fish oil (body oil, such as salmon oil or EPA oil, not cod liver oil) is an amount that supplies 300 mg combined EPA and DHA per 10 lbs of body weight daily. Be sure to give vitamin E as well when you supplement with oils.
In September, 2008, North Carolina State University announced that they
are now offering bone marrow transplants for dogs, the same as is done
for humans. The cure rate is reported to be at least 30%. The cost is reported
to be $15,000. The treatment is only available for dogs over 45-50 lbs
at the current time (March, 2009), but may become available for smaller
dogs in the future. See the following for more information:
Lymphoma
in dogs and the new bone marrow transplant "cure"
Maverick's Canine Bone Marrow
Transplant Story
Making
Man's Best Friend Better
NC State
Is First University in Nation to Offer Canine Bone Marrow Transplants
Canine
Bone Marrow Transplants Now Being Offered At NC State University
NCSU
set for transplants on dogs
See these sites for general information on lymphoma in dogs, including
chemotherapy protocols and personal stories:
Lymphoma
Lymphoma
in Dogs
Lymphoma
Nutritional Therapy
Lymphosarcoma
(Lymphoma) in Dogs (and subsequent pages)
Advances in Treatment for Canine Lymphoma
Part
1: Diagnosis and Staging
Part
2: Chemotherapy
Part
3: New Directions
Cancer -- Lymphoma
Canine
Lymphosarcoma (Lymphoma, LSA)
Lymphoma
from Canine Cancer Awareness
Lymphosarcoma
in Dogs
Cost
Saving Lymphoma Protocol for Canines
Canine
Lymphoma: Protocols For 2004
Rescue
Treatment of Canine Lymphoma
Hailey's
story: Ongoing success at fighting lymphosarcoma
Jamie
and Boris - our personal experience- survivors
Nicholas'
Story
Living with Canine
Lymphoma: Clondike's Story
Hunter's
Story
Living with Canine
Lymphoma
Roxanne has Cancer
Note: this article talks about vaccinating a dog with mast cell tumors.
You should never vaccinate a dog with cancer of any kind,
especially mast cell tumors. See my section on Vaccination
Information for more info on why vaccination boosters are unnecessary
anyway.
Malignant Histiocytosis
See these sites for general information on malignant histiocytosis
in dogs:
Histiocytosis
Malignant
Histiocytosis in dogs (Disseminated Histiocytic Sarcoma)
Canine Histiocytosis
-- Frequently asked questions
Histiocytosis
in the Bernese Mountain Dog
Studies have been done in 1996-1999 indicating that treatment with TALL-104 induced remission in dogs, but I can't find information about this treatment being available, just the studies:
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/lamp/index.php
"It has also been reported that treatment with the human major histocompatibility
complex, nonrestricted, cytotoxic T-cell line TALL-104 induced complete
remission in four dogs with advanced disseminated histiosarcoma for time
periods ranging from 9 to 22 months."
Here are the studies themselves, in reverse chronological order:
http://www.wistar.org/news_info/pdfs/scientific2000.pdf(see
pages 102-103 of the report, pages 105-106 of the pdf file)
http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/5/7/1868
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9815565&dopt=Abstract
http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/3/10/1789.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8674057&dopt=Abstract
Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC)
Piroxicam (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) has shown
success with bladder cancer (Transitional Cell Carcinoma). See these
articles for more info:
Canine Bladder Cancer
Urinary Bladder Cancer in Dogs
Piroxicam and Bladder Cancer in Canines
How well are you managing urinary bladder cancer?
Bladder Cancer Message Board
New treatment for mast cell tumors
In June 2009, the FDA
approved a new drug for the treatment of mast cell tumors that recur after
they have been surgically removed. The drug is called Palladia and is a
tyrosine kinase inhibitor manufactured by Pfizer. For now, it will only
be available to cancer and internal medicine specialists. The price is
not known, but it is likely to be expensive.
In the initial study of 86 dogs treated with Palladia, the tumor disappeared in 8.1% and shrank in another 29.1%. In addition, tumors stopped growing in 20.9% of the dogs.
Palladia causes a number of adverse side effects, most of which are mild but in some cases they can be life-threatening. The drug is given continuously every other day. Regular monitoring of blood work is recommended weekly for the first six weeks, then every six weeks thereafter.
See the following for more info:
The
FDA approves veterinary medicine’s first cancer fighting drug...
FDA
approves Pfizer's Palladia to treat mast-cell tumors in dogs
Oncologists
express high hopes for Pfizer’s newly approved Palladia
Prescribing Information
Freedom
of Information Summary
Cisplatin Beads as an alternative
to chemotherapy
Following removal of a cancerous tumor, it is now possible to implant
tiny cisplatin beads around the tumor site rather than using this chemotherapy
drug systemically. The beads should prevent the tumor from recurring in
the same location, although it will not prevent the cancer from spreading,
such as to the lungs. The beads are associated with far fewer side effects
than when cisplatin is administered systemically; in particular, the kidney
failure that cisplatin can cause does not appear to be a risk with these
beads. Ideally, the beads are planted at the same time that the tumor is
removed. There is a limit to how many beads can be used, so this will not
work for very large tumors. Cisplatin beads are currently being used for
tumors removed with "thin margins," including:
I originally read about this therapy in Dr. Phil Zeltzman's newsletter dated 2/27/09. While his newsletters are not available on his site, you might be able to contact him for a copy of this newsletter.
CLA
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a fatty acid that inhibits
the development of tumors. I've heard of a dog with breast cancer metastasis
that was having success with this therapy. This nutrient is found primarily
in the meat and milk products of pasture-raised, grassfed animals.
See the following articles for more information:
CLA:
Does Fat Have a Silver Lining?
What is CLA? Dietary
CLA in Grassfed Animals
CLA
More on dietary CLA in grassfed animals.
Conjugated
Linoleic Acid and Dietary Beef -- An Update Includes table of CLA
amounts in various foods.
Emerging
Health Benefits of CLA (human orented)
CLA
Various scientific abstracts (human oriented)
Melatonin
Some new studies suggest that Melatonin may be effective against
certain types of cancer. It can also help combat some of the side effects
of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, when given in high doses (one person
was advised by a cancer specialist to give her 120-lb dog 20-40 mg each
night at bedtime while undergoing radiation treatment).. Melatonin has
been used with dogs to combat thunderstorm
phobias and certain forms of alopecia
(hair loss), and is being tried as a treatment for separation
anxiety, so it is safe to use with dogs, at least in moderation. See
the following for a little more info on its use with cancer (most are human-oriented):
Melatonin
and Cancer Treatment
Melatonin
includes a link to a Detailed Scientific Review.
Canine and Feline
Cancer Links includes some info on melatonin
A
Supplement that Works???
Melatonin
Could Help Patients on Chemotherapy
Melatonin
overview that includes information on possible interactions with other
drugs
These scientific studies show the effectiveness of melatonin in combatting
side-effects of radiation therapy, and its non-toxicity even when used
in extremely high doses:
Melatonin
and protection from whole-body irradiation
Antioxidative
Effects of Melatonin in Protection Against Cellular Damage Caused by Ionizing
Radiation
Anti-angiogenic therapy
Anti-angiogenic drugs, although still experimental, are showing some
success at treating tumors by cutting off their blood supply. See Dog's
Cancer Helps Research for more information. This is called the
Navy
Protocol, after the dog in the story whose name was Navy. See the article
on Antiangiogenic
Therapy for Canine Cancers for more info. Also see their main page
on Cancer
for more information about how various types of cancer may respond to antiangiogenic
therapy.
Artemisinin
New research being done at the University of Washington is showing
promise for treating some specific cancers with an herbal extract that
has been used for malaria, called Artemisinin. It has low toxicity
when given in proper doses orally, and has shown some effectiveness with
osteosarcoma
(bone cancer) and lymphosarcoma in dogs when used at a dosage of
50-100 mg twice a day for a large breed. It is also being used to treat
breast cancer in humans. It is apparently more effective when given along
with iron salts.
The University of
Ohio College of Veterinary Medicine is conducting an ongoing clinical
trial on the effects of oral artemisinin on tumors in dogs.
See the following for more information, several of which mention studies
done with dogs:
Pumping
Iron: Increasing Muscle Mass or Curing Cancer?
Chinese remedy
'may fight cancer'
Cancer Smart Bomb,
Part I: An Idea from Ancient Chinese Medicine
Cancer Smart Bomb:
Part II: Artemisinin Follow-Up
New
Hope for Treating Cancer
Artemisinin
Study Abstracts
Artemisinin_and_Cancer
email group
DNA vaccine for malignant melanoma
A DNA vaccine for the treatment of malignant melanomas
has recently been approved by the USDA, see the following for more information:
Canine
Melanoma Vaccine
Clinical
trials are ongoing at Animal Medical Center in New York -- see results
of the first clinical trial showing that the vaccine caused no toxicity
and significantly prolonged survival time.
Is a Melanoma Vaccine Right
for You?
Canine
Melanoma Vaccine Gets Conditional OK See comments at bottom for some
first-hand reports of people's experiences with the vaccine, including
An
update on Siwa & her fight against canine melanoma
Metastatic
malignant melanoma: Ugly cancers, comfortable “cures”
Oral Malignancies
Information on the vaccine and other forms of treatment.
Canine
Oral Melanoma Vaccine BrightHeart Veterinary Center in NY experiences
Cancer Vaccine Program Shows
Early Promise University of Wisconsin-Madison results
Malignant
Melanoma Treatment at Animal Emergency Center in WI
Canine Melanoma
Vaccine, DNA Merial's site
PawPaw for drug-resistant tumors
In 1997, a researcher at Purdue found that a fruit called PawPaw showed
promise in fighting drug-resistant tumors. This product has since
become commercially available. Most of the information I found is from
commercial sites, so it's hard to know how reliable it is, but here are
some links to check out:
Pawpaw
shows promise in fighting drug-resistant tumors
The Pawpaw
(asimina triloba)
Paw
Paw Fruit Against Cancer
Paw Paw Alternative
Cancer Treatment Comparison
DCA
A compound called DCA
(sodium dichloroacetate) is being studied at the University
of Alberta, where researchers report seemingly remarkable anticancer
properties. This compound cannot be patented, and so pharmaceutical
companies are showing little interest, but the University is trying to
start human clinical trials. In the meantime, some people have produced
this compound and made it available to purchase labeled for veterinary
use, which doesn't require the same level of approval as human drugs do.
You can read about it at The DCA Site.
You may be able to purchase it from a compounding pharmacy, if you can
get your vet to give your a prescription. This is very new as of early
2007, so we don't know a lot about the safety of DCA -- serious adverse
effects were seen at medium and high dosage levels (39.5 to 72 mg/kg/day),
and a few even at low dosage (12.5 mg/kg/day) in
this
study. It appears that the dosage people are trying with their dogs
is 10-15 mg/kg/day, split into multiple doses rather than given all at
once. Until more is known, I don't think it would be wise to use this compound
unless you know your dog's cancer is terminal and other options have been
exhausted.
I have heard indirectly of two people who are trying this treatment for dogs with lymphoma, both Golden Retrievers. These dogs are being fed a modified high-protein, low-carbohydrate homemade diet appropriate for dogs with cancerr, and given immune-boosting supplements such as bromelain, turmeric and grapeseed, along with the DCA therapy. Here is some additional information from someone who is in contact with the owners of these dogs:
"The side effects of DCA are minimal compared to chemotherapy. The main problem seems to be acidification of the blood leading to progressive numbness in extremities. So the treatment is cyclic. For example two weeks of treatment followed by a few days respite to allow the acidity to recover. This first dog started to experience side effects after about 5 weeks of treatment but recovered within a couple of days. At nine weeks following diagnosis, the dog outwardly seems completely normal and not showing the usual symptoms of progression of the Lymphoma. Right now she should be dead. Last weekend she was out upland hunting for the day and maintained a normal high level of stamina throughout." The second dog is also doing well, but is at an earlier stage.
See DCA Therapy Data for a report on the use of DCA in human cancer patients. This site has observational data on 118 cancer patients treated with DCA, but it is not a controlled study. They are using a treatment regimen of 1-3 weeks on followed by 1 week off, with doses ranging from 15 to 75 mg/kg/day (average 25 mg/kg/day). They are also giving vitamin B1 and Alpha Lipoic Acid to try to counteract some of the side effects (see DCA Therapy for more info). They conclude, "It is our opinion that DCA is a useful and relatively safe medical treatment for cancer patients who have exhausted scientifically proven treatment options. However, just like chemotherapy, the response to DCA depends on the individual patient. Based on clinical judgment, it is difficult to predict which patients are more likely to respond to DCA. Chemosensitivity tests like ChemoFit™ may help predict response to DCA. We are not yet able to determine duration of response to DCA treatment. In our opinion, long term treatment with DCA may be limited by neuropathy. We will present more data on this once available."
Another blood test that claims to identify cancer in the early stages,
called AMAS (Antimalignant Antibody and Serum), is offered by Oncolab.
However, there is little science behind this test. Because this test has
been around for over 20 years and yet is not in widespread use, I doubt
it has much value. See the following for more info:
Anti-Malignin Antibody
-- A Screening Test for Cancer?
AMAS:
A Blood Test for Detecting Cancer (has proved to be not effective for Prostate
Cancer, with a very high percentage of false negatives).
Is
AMAS a Worthwhile Cancer Test?
Warning about chemotherapy for
dogs with MDR1 gene mutation
Note about Chemotherapy: The drugs Doxorubicin, Vincristine
and Vinblastine are among those that Collies
and related breeds (Australian Shepherds (including miniatures),
English Shepherds, McNabs, German Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs, Shetland
Sheepdogs, Longhaired Whippets and Silken Windhounds) may react to. Also
see MDR1 Problem Drugs List with
North American Brand & Trade Names for a more extensive list of drugs
and their brand names that should be avoided if your dog carries this gene.
Books, email lists and web sites
with more info
The
Natural Vet's Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs
by Shawn Messonier. I have not seen this book myself, but it has
been recommended to me. It provides a good overview of both conventional
and alternative methods of preventing and treating cancer.
Help Your Dog Fight Cancer: An Overview of Home Care Options by Laurie Kaplan. I have not read the book myself, but it has been been recommended to me and appears to be a good resource for those looking for information on how best to help their dogs with cancer.
Herbal Medicine, Healing & Cancer by herbalist Donald Yance. Apparently recommended by some holistic veterinarians. It includes information on herbs to help with chemotherapy and other conventional treatments, as well as alternative treatments for various forms of cancer.
If your pet does not want to eat, try Dr. Goldstein's Radiation Cocktail .
See Email Lists and Message Boards below under Cancer for support groups and more information on dogs with cancer.
Links to more information:
Canine Cancer Care
Diets
for Dogs with Cancer
Nutritional
Status of Dogs with Cancer: dietetics evaluation and recommendations
Cancer in the Canine
Human Cancer
Treatment Goes to the Dogs
Robin's Canine
Cancer Files
Cancer and
Tumors in Dogs
Cancer
in Dogs: The 28th Annual Canine Symposium
Nutrition
and Cancer: Exciting Advances for 2002!
Nutrition
and Cancer: New Keys for Cure and Control 2003!
Supportive Care
and Rehabilitation
The
Perseus Foundation
The
Role of Nutrition in Cancer Therapies
Integrative
Treatment of Cancer in Dogs
Canine Cancer Awareness
The Veterinary Cancer
Society
Cancer Links
Feline & Canine
Cancer Links
Clinical
Research Trials
This page last updated 10/10/2009
