Interesting Excerpt

Dog treated for brain tumors: Experimental test a trial for humans

If it works for ‘Batman’ and other dogs, it promises effective treatment, say Minneapolis researchers

By Josephine Marcotty

Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS — Batman has always been a hero to Anna and Eric Baker. Not the comic book variety, but a furry, 38-pound, bat-eared one who patiently lets their toddler climb all over him.

Now, if all goes well, he may also become a hero for the thousands of people — and tens of thousands of dogs — who each year have brain tumors diagnosed that are equally fatal in both.

Batman, a Shepard mix, is having surgery to remove a brain tumor, August 5, 2008, at the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center. It’s the same kind of tumor that is common in people. Cancer researchers will use his surgery for an experimental advanced treatment.

On Aug. 5, Batman was the first patient to get an experimental therapy that researchers at the University of Minnesota hope will cure his brain cancer, which is the same kind that Sen. Ted Kennedy has. If it works for Batman and other dogs, they say, it holds enormous promise as an effective treatment for people, too.