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Our mission
It started with one very special dog
Super Duke Cancer Fund exists to prevent, detect and eradicate canine nasal tumors, and to make sure every family who faces this diagnosis has the tools they need to support their canine companion.
Duke's story
Meet Duke
Hi, I'm Duke. A 13-year-old Australian Cattle Dog from Central Pennsylvania. I love frisbees, swimming, chasing deer, my family and I'm a libra, so naturally I am pretty cool.
About two years ago I started having a reverse sneeze which occurred with increased frequency over time. Then earlier this year I had an unexpected nosebleed while playing. Fortunately, I had recently been seen by Dr. Sadanaga, a soft tissue specialist who was looking into another matter we were keeping tabs on. He and his team were able to perform a rhinoscopy to see what was going on. During the procedure a mass was observed, and a tissue sample was taken which came back as Adenocarcinoma, a somewhat rare and locally aggressive cancer.
Thankfully I have an amazing family, and they searched far and wide for the best care available while trying to understand what all of this meant. It was scary for all of us, but fortunately we were not too far from the Cornell University Hospital for Animals and Dr. Henry and his team were able to get me scheduled for treatment, which consisted of SRT Radiation Therapy, followed by a series of Gilvetmab infusions, an immune checkpoint inhibitor which gave me a pep in my step every time I left the building.
To date I am very fortunate, and the treatments were successful with side effects being limited to runny eyes and some general inflammation. While the road ahead is unclear, I know that to stay in the fight you need a great team, the right information, quality care and a commitment to never give up as innovation and breakthroughs are happening every day.
Thank you for learning a little bit about my story and for helping however you can as we find a way to make this and all nasal cancers just a bump in the road and a thing of the past.
Duke
The moonshot
Five fronts, one goal
We support work across the full arc of the disease, from understanding why it starts to stopping it from coming back. Today, our funding goes to one front: proton FLASH research at Penn Vet.
Prevent
Environmental and biological risk research, and owner education on smoke and indoor air.
Detect
Earlier, more affordable diagnosis, and awareness among general practice vets.
Attack
Access to stereotactic radiation and clinical trials of new therapies.
Protect
Proton FLASH and precision techniques that spare the eyes, brain and healthy tissue.
Cure
Immunotherapy and the abscopal effect, to keep the cancer in remission and stop it from coming back.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is home to Ryan Veterinary Hospital and one of the first proton FLASH research programs. Our collaboration directs funds to frontier research and clinical work on canine nasal tumors.
- Focus
- Proton FLASH, radiation oncology, clinical trials
- Where
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Our impact
Where we are
Super Duke Cancer Fund is founded to support canine nasal tumor research, in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and its Ryan Veterinary Hospital.
Toward a $250,000 initial goal for proton FLASH research at Penn Vet, with a $500,000 stretch goal after that.
Contact
Get in touch
Families, researchers, veterinarians and partners: we'd like to hear from you. Tell us about a clinical trial, a treatment center, or your dog's story.
Email: cancerfund@thesuperduke.com