If you haven’t yet figured out what to get Great Aunt Mable, who has 17 dogs and every possible thing related to them, the AKC is bailing you out this Christmas. Here, straight from The Dog Lady’s mailbag, is all the news about a new canine bladder cancer detection test, available for purchase in the AKC Shop.
The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the leading advocate for canine health, is making available a groundbreaking new health test for canine bladder cancer detection, the CADETSM BRAF Mutation Detection Assay, in The AKC® Shop.
Created by Sentinel Biomedical, the CADETSM BRAF Mutation Detection Assay is an early detection system for canine bladder cancer (also known as transitional cell carcinoma/urothelial carcinoma, or TCC/UC). This simple free-catch urine analysis system can detect canine bladder cancer (TCC/UC) months before symptoms present, allowing for the earliest therapeutic intervention.
“There are an estimated 80,000 canine TCC/UC cases diagnosed each year – most are diagnosed in later stages, when the cancer is more advanced and treatment options are limited,” said Matthew Breen, PhD CBiol FRSB, founder of Sentinel Biomedical and the Oscar J. Fletcher distinguished professor of comparative oncology genetics at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “We have created a reliable and proactive screening tool for dog owners and breeders that will allow more time to create an optimal treatment plan, thereby potentially extending the life of their dogs.”
The CADETSM BRAF Mutation Detection Assay gives responsible dog owners and breeders an opportunity to take an active role in canine health.
“Many breeders are all too familiar with the typical course of TCC/UC. While rounds of antibiotics are prescribed to treat non-specific and recurring symptoms, a tumor is potentially forming, growing and spreading,” said Dr. Marcia Dawson, DVM and an AKC Breeder of Merit. “The benefit of Sentinel Biomedical’s CADETSM BRAF test is that it can detect the cancer from remarkably few tumor cells that are shed into the urine, months before there are any symptoms, giving us additional time to act.”
As added value to the testing process, dog owners have the opportunity to join a nationwide study to help researchers better understand the environmental factors associated with cancer in dogs and in humans, making canines true watchdogs in the area of human health.
“The AKC is excited to work with Sentinel Biomedical to make this test available to our breeders and dog owners. We know it has tremendous implications for improving the health and welfare of our dogs, and also for furthering our understanding of cancer both in dogs and humans,” said Mark Dunn, Senior Vice President of AKC Registration & Development.
“Thanks to canine health research, we now have real-world solutions for our dogs,” said Susan LaCroix Hamil, Chair of the AKC Delegate Health Committee and an AKC Breeder of Merit. “Early detection is key to fighting canine cancer.”
The Sentinel Biomedical CADETSM BRAF Mutation Detection Assay can be purchased either as a screening test or as a diagnosis/monitoring test. The screening test for early detection of TCC/UC is available exclusively at The AKC® Shop in two formats: 1) an Annual Subscription to screen one dog three times a year, and 2) as a Breeder Screening Pack to conduct an initial screening of multiple dogs at once. Both options provide all the supplies needed for collecting dog urine samples at home, and include free shipping to the testing laboratory, with results delivered within two weeks of sample receipt. The CADETSM BRAF Mutation Detection Assay for diagnosis/monitoring is available to veterinary professionals via the Sentinel Biomedical online store. This test can be used to aid diagnosis of TCC/UC in symptomatic dogs, and also to monitor the level of disease during treatment of cases that have the BRAF mutation. Results for the diagnosis/monitoring tests are available in two to three business days from sample receipt.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!