Research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has been published which shows promise in treating dogs with a specific type of cancer.
Hemangiosarcoma is a type of cancer that can occur in any dog, but German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers seem to be the most prone to developing it. The cancer is an aggressive and malignant tumor of blood vessel cells. The most common area it affects is the spleen but can appear in the skin, other soft tissues and the liver. This is a type of cancer that is metastatic and it will frequently spread to other parts of the body.
In the study, 15 dogs were divided into three groups of 5 and given a different dose of a product called I’m-Yunity, which contains polysaccharopeptide or PSP. PSP is derived from Yunzhi mushrooms and appears to have an immune-boosting effect – it’s been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years.
The findings?
‘We were shocked,’ says Professor Dorothy Cimino-Brown. ‘Prior to this, the longest reported median survival time of dogs with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen that underwent no further treatment was 86 days. We had dogs that lived beyond a year with nothing other than this mushroom as treatment.’
The treatment may offer a way for owners to extend the life of their pet and there were no adverse effects reported.
The researchers plan to study the effect of the compound further, using groups of candidates that are given a placebo, others which undergo chemotherapy, and other groups given the mushroom-based treatment.
DoggyMom.com 