Von der Tierarztin Health Articles

Canine Cancer: A Breeders's Perspective
by: Rhonda Hovan

Like those who have spoken before me, I'd like to thank the organizing committee for inviting me to speak to you today. And I'd like to say a special 'thank you' to Jaime, because I think he sort of stuck his neck out by putting me on the panel; I know it's not typical to have a breeder speak at this type of meeting, and I appreciate the opportunity. This will be quite a change of pace from all of the terrific speakers that I follow. There is no summary in your syllabus - I have all the notes. And no slides. But I do have pictures of my dogs with me, if you want to see them during the break.

I was asked to share some insights into a breeder's perspective on cancer. More importantly, I hope to present some ideas of methods to bridge the gap between researchers and breeders - to the benefit of both, and ultimately, to the benefit of the dogs.

But before I go too much further, I want to take a moment here to qualify the term "breeder," if I am going to wear that label. I am not referring to the family down the block that has a litter to teach their kids about the miracle of birth; and certainly not the person out to make a quick buck, often at the expense of the puppies they produce. I'm not even talking about the five year whiz kids, who start off like gangbusters when they still believe that producing good dogs is easy; and then disappear when they find out it's hard. The breeders I am referring to are those who have a long term, committed, sincere interest in the welfare of their breed. They try to be responsible, they want to do a good job, and usually they care passionately.

By that definition, I wear the label "dog breeder" proudly. I've owned
Golden Retrievers for over 30 years, and I show my dogs in conformation. I am also a judge, and on the Board of Directors of the Golden Retriever Club of America and of the OFA. And I am a dog writer.

All of those activities arose from one premise: I am a pet owner. And like most pet owners, my dogs are part of my extended family, and I want them to have a good life. But despite everything that I try to do for my dogs, for the past 20 years, I been able to do little more than watch as the majority of them die from cancer. Why? Because the majority of my breed dies from cancer; according to our 1998 Breed Health Survey, between 60-70% of all Goldens get cancer. About half of those are attributed to just two cancers, hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma. Until very recently, I've felt nearly helpless to do anything about it. Unfortunately, most dog owners still feel that way.

But I know that you are here because you believe that something can be done to improve cancer statistics; and that most of you are already helping to make that happen. Yet the dog breeders and fanciers who could and should be your natural allies are still sitting on the sidelines. They are neither supporting nor participating in your research because, for the most part, they don't have a clue who you are, what you are doing, how to find you, what you need from them, or how they can help. And many, many of them do want to help.

Connecting With Breeders & Fanciers

Typically, news that a dog has cancer is delivered to the owner by the local general veterinarian. At this point, some owners investigate no further. They and their vet elect to simply keep the case in house, and these dogs will not be available to research. But there are other owners who react to the news by seeking information and connections to help their dog. This is a reachable group, and in fact, they will be looking for you. So if you want to be found, you need to position yourself in the places they are mostly likely to look.

Most serious breeders and exhibitors are members of their national Parent breed club, and this should be a productive source of contacts. Many of you already have a relationship with some Parent Clubs through the Canine Health Foundation. Perhaps some Breed Clubs are even contributing funding toward your research. Frequently, however, these relationships are not well developed, and much potential support remains untapped. Very often, in fact, there has been no direct communication between PI's (principal investigators) and Club representatives, because the Canine Health Foundation has acted as an intermediary. While this may be appropriate during the proposal or pre-funding stage, it is not as effective during recruitment.

Every Parent Club has some sort of health liaison or Health & Genetics
Committee, and the Canine Health Foundation can provide you with his/her contact info. That's a good starting point. The health liaison should be able to offer you a number of ways to access the Club's membership, as well as assist with non-member outreach.

For example, essentially all Breed Club's publish magazines, and editors are generally willing and eager to include articles about health issues concerning their breed. It is usually time well invested to prepare an article directed at breeders and fanciers, suitable for these publications. This should include a general discussion of the disease, the purpose of the research, the requirements for participation, and contact information.

It's also helpful to distill essential information such as the participation
requirements and contact info into a brief summary. The more detailed article can be used to introduce the research project, and even re-run periodically - perhaps yearly - to refresh the topic. Meanwhile, the summary should appear in every issue of the magazine during the recruitment phase as a handy reference and reminder. Editors may not think of doing that on their own, but most are willing to cooperate if asked.

In addition, most Parent Clubs maintain web sites. These can be valuable sources of outreach in two ways that Club magazines are not: first, they are much more immediate and timely ways to publicize new study information; and second, web sites are accessible to pet owners who are not competition oriented, and who are not members of the Club. It's not at all unusual for a pet owner whose dog was just diagnosed with cancer, to turn to these breed web sites for help and information. Most are positioned such that simply typing in the breed name on an Internet browser makes it easy to find the Parent Club. That, in turn, will make it easy to find you.

The Club health liaison may also be of assistance in another way. In some instances, it may be desirable to have cases screened, or study requirements and forms distributed, before the potential client is referred to you. A Club representative functioning as a contact person may be a time saver by insulating you in at least this first step, from direct contact with owners. Not that any breeders would ever become a pain in the neck, but nonetheless,you might not want to give out your direct phone number too freely...so listing a Club member's instead might make some sense.

Beyond these specific methods of enlisting Parent Club involvement, there is a more subtle role that some individuals may be able to play. Depending upon the nature of the research, and the climate within the breed club, breeders are sometimes reluctant to acknowledge health difficulties in their line. Even statements of confidentiality don't seem to offer enough assurances for some to be moved to participate. Other times, simple apathy or lack of awareness, can be equally as difficult to overcome.

But in nearly every breed, there are certain individuals with the influence to help motivate their peers to rally to a cause. These are usually long-time, respected breeders, who are willing to take a public stand. The Health & Genetics liaison may or may not be the right person - but if not, he or she will probably know who is. It's often well worth your time and effort to enlist one or more such people to personally support and promote your project. Not surprisingly, breeders whose dogs have been affected by the cancer in question are often the most effective spokespersons.

The communications network among breeders - especially the breed specific chat lists - is absolutely amazing. And even though most of the chat is incredibly annoying, these Lists do have the potential to be used as research recruitment tools. And when a high profile breeder uses a chat list, for example, to openly discuss a personal story of loss, and make a plea for support and participation in a specific research study, the message and response can be powerful. Such pleas frequently bounce from list to list, circulating endlessly in cyberspace - but eventually reaching many potential participants.

Understanding Breeders

Now, as you've listened politely to my discussion of ways that you can
facilitate contact with breeders, I realize that many of you are saying to yourselves, "I don't think so!" I know we can be difficult at times...Breeders and exhibitors tend to carry their attachments to their dogs to an extreme; the associated social, financial, and ego driven issues can get complicated. And let's face it, a lot of breeders are, well, unusual.

My youngest son, who recently completed his freshman year of college as a psychology major - where he took an abnormal psychology course - recently shared some of his newly acquired expert insight with me. He tells me that "dog people" (as he calls us) become "dog people" precisely because they don't relate well to "real people." (By the way - and this really is true - he specifically exempts vets from this analysis. For vets, dogs are a profession; as opposed to "dog people," for whom dogs are an obsession.) Anyway, he probably has a valid point, to a certain extent. So, dealing with breeders can be sort of an emotionally charged situation to start with.
Then, add to it that this person's dog has cancer. Yes, breeders can be difficult. But some of the same traits that make them difficult, can also impassion them to be great allies to your work. I hope you will give them that chance.

The breeding community is able to be of service to research in a way that the average pet owner usually is not. Breeders generally have access to extensive family lines of dogs, and can provide samples when necessary from numerous relatives. And once enlisted as supporters of a research study, breeders are often highly motivated participants.

Let me just give you a brief snapshot of my own experiences, which
illustrate a history that is probably similar to that of many breeding
programs. In 1986, I lost my first Champion bitch, Puppy, to mammary cancer. But she was 13, and had had a good life. Then her daughter, Digger, died at only 9, of lymphoma. (By the way, no making fun of my dogs' names; I let my kids name my dogs. And at least I veto names like "Annihilator!") The next in line, Digger's daughter Kidd, died at 12, from hemangiosarcoma. And in
all honesty - although this was three consecutive generations lost to
cancer - it was to 3 different cancers. And at those ages, it just did not
raise a red flag to me.

Then came two more losses in just over a year. Kidd's grandson, Player, also died from hemangiosarcoma, at only 9. And Kidd's son, Thunder, died from lymphoma, at 10. That was just last summer.

So that leaves me with 4 dogs. I own a Thunder daughter, Frog, who at 6, is at the end of her breeding career. But her 2 year old daughter, Pete, is at the beginning of hers. And 18 month old Star, a Thunder grandson, is at the beginning of his. And just hours ago, my 4 year old Thunder daughter whelped a litter of 2 new baby girls.

So here I am, 6 generations into a line that I have worked hard to develop since 1973. Twenty-eight years. I have always cared passionately about the health of my dogs, and have a remarkably solid record with regard to hips, elbows, eyes, and hearts. But then there's cancer; most of my dogs die from cancer. As I mentioned previously, most of my breed dies from cancer...

So I look at young Pete, and Star, and I wonder what their future holds. And the new babies, who I haven't even seen yet, but who wait for me when I get home. I love puppies. To me, newborns have always been like the coming of Spring, a renewal, with all the potential of a whole life ahead of them. The optimist in me envisions all their wonderful days in the sun. But now, the realist in me also sees the clouds of cancer, way too close, way too ominous...and we need your help. And I truly believe, that as other breeders are educated to understand what you are doing and what you need from them,
they will be highly motivated to help you too.

Speaking the Language

So as you begin talking with breeders, it won't be long before you'll hear an owner describe his or her dog as "the number 1" dog, a "top Champion", or some other similar euphemism. And then pretty soon, another will say the same thing about his dog. And then another. Now how, you wonder, can all of these various dogs be Number One or be the "top" dog? Doesn't "number one" mean that there's only, well, one?

Well, exhibitors can be very creative, especially when it comes to
describing their dog's achievements. Think of it sort of like writing a CV for dogs - enhancement is allowed, if not expected. And with a variety of competition venues, and several parameters by which to measure success, being number one is not as exclusive as it sounds. Furthermore, even if the dog in question is no where near to being a quality competition dog, owners sometimes find ways to phrase losing that sound impressive. For example - and I have actually heard this one - "He placed second in an entry of over 100 Goldens" can sound pretty good; but what may have been left unsaid was that the actual class in which the dog placed second, only had 2 dogs competing. Like some politicians, some breeders raise this kind of careful
phrasing to an art form.

At any rate, it's not as important that you understand exactly how many records that particular dog holds, as it is that you hear what the owner is trying to tell you. These owners are usually feeling desperate - their dog has cancer. For most, a death sentence. And you may be their best hope to pull off a miracle cure. So what they are really trying to tell you, as they cite the dog's illustrious show record, is that this dog is Important. Important, at least, to them. They are hoping that if only they can convey to you just how unique and special and wonderful this dog is, you will somehow come up with a way to save him. Logical or not, reasonable or not, I suspect that I have done the same thing when my own dogs have been the patients. We all want to feel that our dog is being singled out for the very best that science has to offer, and the very best of your efforts. So though you may not be particularly impressed with the dog's fancy ribbons and titles, what the owner really needs to hear is simply compassionate acknowledgement of how special the dog is; and assurances that he will be
given the best of care.

Cause, Cure, and Prevention

There is another aspect to dealing with dog breeders that can try your
patience. Breeders tend to fall into one of two camps. Some breeders - and this is especially true of less experienced breeders - are accustomed to approaching health issues as being primarily within the control of breeding decisions. They have been conditioned, after all, to breed only dogs who are "clear" of disease. Other breeders - more concerned about protecting their investment in their own personal breeding stock - seem determined to look primarily to external factors to explain disease. The similarity between the two viewpoints, is that both search for a simple, identifiable place to lay the blame for their dog's cancer. The first group will try to identify a certain dog or line that is at "fault;" while the second group tends to look to chemicals or food (or chemicals in food!) as the culprit. Either way, they can drive you nuts trying to pin you down to a statement supporting
what they already believe.

Try to keep in mind that most of these breeders really are trying to find a way to do a better job avoiding cancer in their offspring. It's just that, as with much of the general population, critical scientific reasoning, and certainly, understanding of cellular genetics, is limited. And as much as I hate to say it - even though these people engage in pedigree genetics as an avocation - their understanding of pedigree genetics is also frequently limited. Furthermore, they are usually feeling a certain immediacy about the need to find out the definitive "cause" of their dog's cancer, because breeding decisions which will affect their next generation, are always right around the corner.

One specific suggestion that I might make with regard to talking with
breeders about cancer, is to state very clearly and repetitively, the
differences between when you might be referring to inherited genetic
mutations, versus sporadic genetic mutations, or when that status is
unknown. I cannot stress to you enough, that breeders tend to hear only the word "genetic," and their assumptions take off from there. To most, "genetic" means inherited. And when they hear you call cancer a genetic disease, many become instantly reactive. The ensuing finger pointing, defensiveness, and suspicions within the breeding community are not helpful to anyone, and may even cause some breeders to be reluctant to participate in cancer research.

Now, the flip side of the "simple cause" theories, are the simple cure (or prevention) theories. If you've spent any time at all talking about cancer with breeders, no doubt you've been asked (or sometimes told!) about the benefits of shark cartilage, herbs, megadoses of vitamins, and acupuncture. And of course, the current fad, the BARF diet. You've all heard of that one right - Bones And Raw Food? Well, this isn't so different from human medicine is it, when a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer? If medical science doesn't have the answer, maybe some anonymous web page does...
Again, it can be difficult for many breeders to distinguish science from
cleverly marketed hocus pocus. All you have to do is visit a health food store or watch an infomercial to see that we live in a society where testimonials seem to carry as much credibility as refereed journals. And though it may try your patience to hear it again and again, these are just desperate owners reaching out for help.

Of course, for those whose dogs currently have cancer, the help they are most interested in is a cure. Second to that are good treatment options, defined as being affordable, maintaining quality of life, and offering significant extension of life.

But treatment is not the long term solution that breeders seek. Treatment won't help us protect the next generation of our dogs. We need to know as much as possible about how to identify genes that put our dogs at higher risk. Equally as important, we need to be able to determine when a cancer is sporadic, and not the result of heritable factors.

Research Website

Now I'd like to make a suggestion which seems to make sense to me - and seems so simple - that I admit that I may be missing some reason that it isn't already being done. I have talked with many, many owners who have said to me, that if only they had known about research studies at the time their dog was eligible, they would have jumped at the chance to participate. These owners usually tell me that they asked their vet, and made at least some attempt to find out about current research, but came up empty. Shortly before coming here, I duplicated what might be typical owner or veterinarian
efforts on the Internet to find actively recruiting cancer studies. It was
not impossible, but it was definitely hit or miss, and mostly miss. Even
those studies that I did find, generally were not clear as to participation requirements, and most did not include easy contact information.

So my suggestion to the canine cancer research community, is to organize, produce, and publicize a comprehensive canine cancer research Internet site. Make it easier for us and our vets to find you, and tell us what you need from us. You may be surprised at how eager the breeding community is to help you, help us.

Conclusion

Now I'm going to conclude with just one more thought. We heard one of the speakers earlier today discussing communication skills, and I think first on the list was to establish rapport. Well, much of this is about establishing rapport on a mass scale - with Breed Clubs, and breeders. Let me give you just a quick example of the potential benefits.

The dog rescue community tends to have a wonderful relationship with
breeders. As a result, in 1999, Golden Retriever rescue raised and spent an average of $282 per dog rescued, for a total of about 1.2 million dollars. By comparison, these same people contributed to cancer research at a rate of about $0.83 per Golden with cancer. Talk about disequilibrium data...

These numbers need to come into better balance. I'd like to see that
happen - not by taking away from the rescue community - but by bringing research dollars up to par. I did some rough calculations, and came up with the following figures.

If every member of the Golden Retriever Club contributed to research at a rate of $25 dollars per puppy produced by their bitches, and at $10 per puppy produced by their stud dogs, the total would be approximately 1.2 - 1.5 million dollars per year. And this is just one breed club (although with one of the largest memberships).

Now, I would love to see GRCA raise that kind of money for research,
consistently, year after year. I don't know if it's possible or not, but I
do know that's it's more likely to happen if breeders begin to hear more from you, and begin to feel a connection between your work and benefit to their dogs. So again, I think that bridging the gap between researcher and breeders has the potential to benefit all.

rhondahovan@aol.com