Neutered Dogs Risk Prostate Cancer. Contrary to what may pet owners may believe, neutering male dogs actually increases the risk of prostate cancer eight fold. Neutered dogs are also four times more likely to develop bladder cancer versus non-neutered male dogs. Technically, the canine prostate gland is referred to as an accessory sex organ in dogs. The prostate gland itself surrounds the urethra and is located at the neck of the urinary bladder, so the two organs are located very close together in your dog’s body and may be affected by similar disorders, including cancer.
Most of us, including this veterinarian and author, were told and/or taught that neutering male dogs reduced the risk of a variety of cancers including those involving the sex organs. New research validates the exact opposite.
So, contrary to what we have been told as well as to what many of us as veterinarians were formally taught in school, neutering pets may alter aggression and territorial behavior but it also increases the risk and incidence of cancer.
Traditionally pet owners were given the option to treat canine prostate cancer using massive doses of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, this therapy results in killing all the cells in the area as until now, scientists were unable to figure out how to target just the cancerous cells without adversely affecting normal cells in the process.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have potentially found an innovative targeted prostate cancer cure that is being tested in dogs and mice prior to people. They created radioactive gold nanoparticles, attached them to an antioxidant found in green tea leaves called epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC) then give 1-2 injections directly into the affected prostate gland and that’s it.
The radioactivity is gone within 3 weeks and significant tumor size reduction complete in 28 days.
Currently, studies have been conducted in mice with excellent results. The researchers are planning to team up with the College of Veterinary Medicine to conduct clinical trials in dogs with prostate cancer which will precede similar trials in humans.
This novel intratumor nanoparticle injection approach may offer significant advances in cancer therapy which is also referred to as oncology, for a variety of solid cancerous tumors in both pets and people.
