New Early Cancer Detection Test?

Hello Summarians!

“Liquid Biopsy” — what a great term! It conjures the ability to diagnose anything with a simple blood test. That is truly an exciting development. Multiple formats are currently available in veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, as is typically the case, independently reproducible evidence can be lacking.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be excited or potentially consider them as a tool in our diagnostic kit, but we need to remember a little company named Theranos.

Proceed with caution..and hope. 🙂 

Compliance in Eye Medications

Medication compliance (the degree to which a patient follows day-to-day treatment instructions) and persistence (the duration of time a treatment is continued) are critical to successful therapy and cost-effective healthcare. Noncompliance in human medicine is widespread, particularly in chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and glaucoma, often due to forgetfulness, complexity of regimens, or lack of perceived benefits. Compliance is even more challenging when physical disabilities interfere with administration, as seen in ophthalmic treatments. 

In veterinary medicine, medication compliance and persistence (MCP) is influenced by the unique dynamic in which caregivers, not patients, administer treatment. This can both enhance and hinder adherence depending on the owner’s dedication and the pet’s behavior. Few studies have quantified veterinary MCP, though reported rates vary widely based on medication type, species, and dosing frequency. Notably, MCP for short-term antimicrobials in dogs has ranged from 27% to 91%, influenced by owner perception of the consultation and the complexity of the regimen. Chronic conditions like epilepsy and heart disease have yielded compliance rates of 56% and 82%, respectively. 

The current study, conducted at a referral veterinary hospital, focused on MCP with topical ophthalmic medications in dogs. Seventy-two percent of clients were compliant and persistent, with 79% of medications administered as prescribed. These rates are difficult to compare directly to other studies due to varying methodologies and reliance on self-reporting, which tends to overestimate adherence. No peer-reviewed studies previously existed on topical ophthalmic MCP in dogs. 

Factors influencing MCP included the appointment source, with direct ophthalmology visits associated with higher compliance than inter-service consultations. Clients were more adherent when they perceived an eye problem in their pet, suggesting that perceived disease severity impacts behavior. Mode of discharge instruction—whether verbal, email, or phone—did not affect compliance, but the quality and clarity of education may still play a role, as evidenced by improper administration techniques observed in some clients. 

Interestingly, MCP was more affected by medication frequency than by the number of medications. Dosing more than four times daily reduced compliance, unlike studies in human medicine that suggested fewer drugs improve adherence. External factors like work, travel, and holidays also disrupted MCP. Clients were more likely to be compliant when recheck appointments were scheduled during the initial visit, and when an adequate supply of medication was dispensed to last until the next appointment. Running out of medication was a common cause of early discontinuation. 

The study also found no significant difference in compliance between ointments and drops, though client-reported difficulty administering medication was common. Dog behavior or the owner's physical limitations were not distinguished as causes. Slow-release drug delivery systems could offer future alternatives to frequent topical application, although further research is needed. Immunomodulatory and glaucoma medications had better MCP, possibly due to a lower prescribed frequency. 

Limitations of the study included its retrospective nature, short duration of MCP assessment, lack of standardized questioning about compliance, and the absence of clinical outcome evaluation tied to MCP. The potential influence of prescribing personnel, health literacy, and medication cost was not assessed but may also affect adherence. Future studies using prospective designs, electronic monitoring tools, and standardized treatment protocols are necessary to more accurately understand and improve MCP in veterinary ophthalmology.

Bowyer, A. N., Meekins, J. M., Bortoluzzi, E. M., & Rankin, A. J. (2025). Retrospective study of compliance and persistence of topical ophthalmic medications prescribed to dogs at a veterinary teaching hospital. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.03.0132 

Bottom line — Seems to be higher than reports in other scenarios

Early Cancer Detection Using ACED

Cancer remains a leading cause of death in both humans and dogs, with dogs more commonly diagnosed only once clinical signs appear, often at an advanced stage. While significant advances in cancer therapeutics have emerged, early diagnosis remains the key to improving outcomes and reducing treatment costs. Unfortunately, canine cancers typically progress faster than human ones, and routine population-wide screening protocols for dogs are lacking. 

To address this, the authors developed a new class of diagnostics using an immunoassay platform called ACED (antibody comprehensive effective detection) arrays. These arrays use highly diverse peptide libraries synthesized on silicon wafers to detect antibodies in canine blood that are elicited by early-stage tumors. Unlike traditional liquid biopsy methods that rely on detecting tumor DNA or nucleosomes—which often show poor sensitivity at stage 1—this method captures a broader and potentially more sensitive immune response. The test leverages the immune system’s early recognition of tumor neoantigens, especially those generated by RNA errors and other molecular disruptions, to identify antibodies even at the earliest stages of cancer. 

In a cohort of 283 dogs with stage 1 hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, mast cell tumor, osteosarcoma, or soft tissue sarcoma, as well as cancer-free controls, two multiclass prediction models were developed. Both showed strong performance, with the simpler model achieving sensitivities of 68–98% and specificities of 97–99%, while the neural network model showed 60–88% sensitivity and 92–99% specificity. These findings were robust across different modeling approaches and methods, suggesting the platform’s reliability. The cancer-specific antibody responses were sufficiently distinct to differentiate tumor types, an important step toward predicting the tissue of origin. 

The data came in part from the long-running VACCS trial, which followed 800 dogs over 5.5 years, allowing for the rare collection of stage 1 cases. Importantly, controls included dogs with common noncancer conditions, increasing clinical relevance. Although more samples are needed to confirm the platform’s broader utility, preliminary results are promising. 

The authors argue that despite the risk of false positives, the test's high sensitivity at an early stage justifies its use, especially if follow-up retesting is simple and inexpensive. Additionally, if preventive therapies like REDN-based vaccines become available, false positives may carry less concern. The ACED platform also compares favorably to other existing tests (like Nu.Q and Oncotect), which either lack sensitivity for early-stage cancers or don't identify tumor origin. 

Moving forward, the test’s utility will depend on further validation in larger, diverse populations and prospective field studies. Expansion to detect more tumor types and later stages is planned. Ultimately, the ACED immunoassay represents a promising and novel approach to canine cancer screening, offering a potentially transformative tool for early detection and improving outcomes in veterinary oncology. 

Brown, J. R., Shen, L., Fulton, N., Johnston, S. A., & Sykes, K. F. (2025). High-sensitivity multicancer detection of stage 1 cancer in dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.02.0068 

Bottom line — Early results seem encouraging.

Noise Hypersensitivity in Dogs

This study explores noise hypersensitivity in companion dogs, emphasizing the wide range of sounds that can provoke negative reactions and the associated welfare implications. Dogs that are sensitive to noises may show behavioral signs such as trembling, panting, hiding, and vocalizing, which can interfere with their quality of life, learning ability, and even working performance. Owners of such dogs often experience emotional distress, including frustration and anxiety, further underscoring the need for better understanding and management of the condition. 

The terminology used to describe these reactions varies, including terms like hyperacusis and noise phobia, and while some dogs may suffer from a physiological sensitivity to sound, others may react due to emotional associations. The study categorized triggering sounds into Aversive Sounds (AS), Environmental Sounds (ES), and Human Sounds (HS), finding that dogs responded most negatively to AS and ES. These include loud and sporadic noises like fireworks, thunderstorms, and everyday household sounds like vacuum cleaners and alarm clocks. While HS generally caused milder reactions, some dogs still reacted strongly to sounds like coughing or sneezing. 

Noise sensitivities were associated with several factors. Dogs with anxiety were more likely to react to AS and ES. Age also played a role, with older dogs showing stronger reactions, possibly moderated by age-related hearing loss in very senior dogs. Neutered dogs, smaller dogs, and those with other behavioral issues like separation anxiety were also more prone to noise hypersensitivity. Owner characteristics influenced outcomes as well—dogs owned by women or older individuals tended to score higher in noise reactivity, possibly due to increased attentiveness or time spent with their pets. 

The study also raises concerns about the impact of these sensitivities on dogs’ welfare. A significant number of owners reported that their dog’s quality of life was severely affected. Sounds that occur frequently in the home may have more pervasive negative effects than intermittent events like fireworks, and the superior hearing abilities of dogs make them vulnerable to sounds that humans might not notice or find benign. 

Although the study provides valuable insights, it has limitations. It relied on self-reported survey data, lacked behavioral definitions and validated scoring tools, and was affected by demographic biases—most respondents were female, and factors like environment or exposure were not fully assessed. Future studies should use more robust methods to objectively assess noise reactivity in dogs and better understand its development over time. 

In conclusion, the study highlights that many dogs suffer from noise hypersensitivity beyond the well-known reactions to fireworks or thunderstorms, including responses to everyday environmental and human sounds. These sensitivities are influenced by both dog and owner factors and can severely impact canine welfare. The findings emphasize the importance of incorporating sound sensitivity evaluations into routine veterinary and behavioral assessments and the need for further research to develop targeted interventions that improve the well-being of affected dogs. 

Joy T.Y. Chin, Samantha X.L. Poh, Eduardo J. Fernandez, Susan J. Hazel, Turn the volume down: Noise hypersensitivity in dogs, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Volume 79, 2025, Pages 75-82, ISSN 1558-7878, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.005. 

Bottom line — Not just thunderstorms or fireworks.

Just putting things in perspective …