A dog named Grayton with a dangerous form of cancer called nasal adenocarcinoma recently underwent a new cancer treatment called stereotactic radiation therapy. The dog initially underwent treatment at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Michael Friedlander, executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, says, “Most dogs with this form of cancer are with their owners no more than a few months after the diagnosis, but here Grayton is three years later.”

Friedlander was referred to the experimental cancer treatment done at the University of Florida. Stereotactic radiation treatment delivers high radiation doses more precisely to a tumor, but it can be performed just once. The treatment proved effective for the dog. Friedlander said, “It shrunk the tumor down to almost nothing. We knew when Grayton had the procedure that we couldn't do it again, but now the cancer is back.”

Grayton is the first Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine patient in a new clinical trial for testing gold nanoparticle and targeted laser usage for treating solid tumors in cats and dogs. The study is part of several studies assessing new treatments for human’s pet companions being done at the college.

Dr. Greg Daniel, head of the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, said, “Clinical research at the veterinary college involves both primary research focused on advancing the treatment and diagnosis of veterinary diseases and translational research in which spontaneous diseases in animals can be used as models of human disease. In the latter situation, we can provide our companion animal patients with treatment and diagnostic options that are not yet available in mainstream human medicine.”