"If we further understand the canine tumor, this may lead to better cancer treatment in dogs and in the human population," said David J. Waters, DVM, PhD, associate professor of surgery and comparative oncology at Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. "The Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Purdue is a center for canine prostate cancer research in the Midwest. We will see about 10 to 15 dogs per year with advanced prostate cancer. Our research has taken a very basic approach. In the last few years, we have established several prostate cancer cell lines that will help us to understand this disease."

When elderly pet dogs die, Dr. Waters and his team examine the prostate at autopsy to determine whether there are any premalignant or malignant changes. His hopes are to identify non-invasive markers in blood or urine that predict which dogs are at highest risk of developing prostate cancer, and which are not. Another aspect of Dr. Waters’ work involves chemoprevention, the use of non-toxic strategies to inhibit cancer development.

"We’re studying naturally occurring prostate carcinogenesis. Our study is designed to focus on the pathology and epidemiology of this disease. We have a lot of work to do," he added.

"Our goal is to help dogs, but also to address the human prostate cancer epidemic," Dr Waters said. "We want to learn how to prevent or delay prostate cancer development. This has great potential to impact the human cancer problem."