Bone marrow transplants, also called total body radiation, are a fairly common procedure in human cancer treatment. Dogs can benefit from this procedure too! And the results are thrilling – about 30% of treated dogs are considered completely cured.

Dr. Steven Suter, the leading expert on bone marrow transplants in dogs, explains everything that goes into this procedure – and we mean everything. There are many steps and processes that have to be completed both to make sure that your dog is a good candidate for a bone marrow transplant and then to complete the transplant itself.

In this episode you will learn what needs to happen before a bone marrow transplant – from chemotherapy to achieve remission to finding a donor match – as well as the process and aftercare for the procedure. Bone marrow transplants are not the right fit for every dog or family, but this is a fascinating option to have available.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Show:

North Carolina State University Bone Marrow Transplant Unit

Bellingham Veterinary

Nationwide Pet Insurance

PetPartners Pet Insurance

About Today’s Guest, Dr. Steven Suter:

As a clinician/scientist with training in veterinary oncology and molecular biology, I have been focused on canine oncology research for over 17 years. To this end, I have been utilizing a variety of genomics techniques to 1) understand the molecular underpinnings of canine lymphoma, 2) develop novel therapeutics against this heterogenous group of diseases, and 3) understand the development of chemotherapy resistance. In addition, I’ve also concentrated on the development and characterization of appropriate reagents to study canine lymphoma to help determine the relevance of these diseases when compared to human lymphomas. On the clinical side, I've been convinced, based on a wealth of data in human medical journals, that bone marrow transplantation can cure a population of dogs with B- and T-cell lymphoma. To this end I founded and am the Medical Director of the worlds’ only canine apheresis and bone marrow transplantation unit.

Other Links:

If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200.

Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices