The University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Center is enrolling patients into a clinical trial to assess whether using special stains for the sodium iodide symporter can allow us to identify tumors that are taking up iodine after a thyroid tumor has been removed. This would limit the need for expensive thyroid scans before surgery and increase the number of dogs that could be considered for additional treatment if their thyroid cancer is aggressive.
Criteria:
- Dogs with presumed thyroid carcinoma considered likely candidates for thyroidectomy
- Patients who have received neoadjuvant radiation (external beam or I-131) or chemotherapy, exogenous iodine supplementation are not eligible.
Benefit:
- The pre-operative thyroid scan would allow radioactive iodine therapy to be considered as an option following surgery, if there were concerns that your dog’s thyroid tumor was more aggressive than usual.
- After enrollment, the study will contribute $1,500 to cover associated clinical costs. This includes coverage of costs associated with the pre-operative thyroid scan, including sedation and hospital care (approximately ($1,055).
To Participate:
- Pet owners must be willing to move forward with surgical planning and resection of thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes.
- A full screening will be performed prior to enrollment at the owner’s expense.
- Responsible for initial assessment and consultation to determine eligibility for the trial.
For more information on this study please contact: cvmclinicaltrials@missouri.edu with the subject pertaining to the trial of interest.
The University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Center is enrolling patients into a clinical trial to evaluate regional lymph node metastasis in canine thyroid carcinoma.
Criteria:
- Confirmed diagnosis of thyroid tumor
- Imaging of neck with ultrasound or CT before surgery
- No previous chemotherapy or radiation treatment for the affected tissue
- No previous thyroid surgery
Benefit:
- Cost of histopathology is covered.
- The primary goal of this study is to determine if special stains improve detection of cancer within lymph nodescompared to standard staining. We will also evaluate the impact of cancer within lymph nodes on survival in affected dogs and the accuracy of CT for detection of lymph node involvement.
To Participate:
- Initial staging cost are owner’s financial responsibility as well as adverse side effects.
- Pet owner must be willing to transport their dog to and from the treatment center in Columbia, MO.
- Participation will require a total of up to 2 visits.
For more information on this study please contact: muoncology@missouri.edu with the subject pertaining to the trial of interest.
