DNA Canine Melanoma Vaccine Clinical Trials

and you live outside a 50-mile radius of The AMC

Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Clinic

 

TYPE OF CANCER

Malignant Melanoma in Dogs
 

Name of Clinical Study

DNA Canine Melanoma Vaccine
 

Principal Investigator

Philip J. Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD; Head, The Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Clinic
 

Overview

Malignant melanomas are dangerous tumors which spread quickly and are poorly responsive to standard therapies.
 
Treatment: Melanoma is usually treated with surgical removal of the primary tumor. Treatment of more advanced melanoma might also include radiation therapy, chemotherapy and biological therapy (also called immunotherapy).
 
After Treatment: Because melanoma usually recurs or spreads even after complete removal of the cancer, survival has been poor using current available therapies (surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy).
 

Purpose of This Clinical Trial

The purpose of this study is to find out what effects the DNA vaccine has on malignant melanoma reoccurrence. This research is being done because there is a need for more effective treatments for malignant melanoma. We are extremely proud of our DNA vaccine program for canine malignant melanoma that has now generated this fourth study. We have a manuscript accepted for publication in the scientific cancer journal Clinical Cancer Research that reports initial findings of our DNA vaccine in dogs. These dogs had a median survival time of 389 days, a dramatic increase in survival (most dogs with advanced malignant melanoma have a median survival time of only 60-90 days with presently available therapies). There has been no toxicity noted in any dogs receiving DNA melanoma vaccines to date.
 

To Be Eligible For This Study, Your Dog Must:

  1. Have a malignant melanoma, (oral, toe or footpad) with or without metastases
  2. Have an expected survival time greater than eight weeks, without other serious disease
  3. Have no evidence of brain metastasis
  4. Be able to travel to The AMC every two weeks for five visits (last four as outpatient visits)

Medical Protocol

A DNA vaccine against melanoma cancer is administered.
 

Medical Costs

All costs related to this trial (initial staging, office calls, blood tests, Xrays and vaccine administration) will be paid by the client and are expected to be approximately $2500 total over the five visits (every two weeks). The vaccine will continue to be provided for free. All subsequent follow-up can be completed through your local veterinarian and/or oncologist after the five initial AMC visits. We are unable to ship vaccine at this time per USDA regulations, so the initial five visits for the study must be performed here at The AMC.
 
If you believe your pet may fit into this study, please call the appointment desk at 212-838-8100 or 212-329-7053 and ask for a "new patient oncology visit." They will facilitate the appointment process for you.