Groundbreaking canine cancer case highlights precision medicine at UF

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A young French bulldog’s battle with an extremely rare and aggressive cancer has broken new ground in veterinary oncology at the University of Florida, and the beloved pet’s treatment could lead to better cancer care for dogs and children.

George, a 2-year-old male pup, was treated at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine’s Small Animal Hospital from December 2023 to July 2024. When he arrived, he had been seen by outside specialists who had detected a small mass in his chest but could not reach a conclusive diagnosis.

“Once he got to UF, George responded immediately and incredibly to treatment, and would spend the next eight months chasing his ball every single day,” said his owner, Louis Tavares, of Windemere, Florida. “Although George was terribly sick when he arrived at UF, until close to the very end, no one would have suspected he had cancer.”

But George’s journey was hardly straightforward.

His case perplexed his UF veterinary team, which immediately conducted more tests when he arrived. These included chest radiographs, an ultrasound, and additional tumor sampling. The tumor samples pointed strongly to lymphoma, but members of the team sent cell samples to a diagnostic lab as they began treating George with chemotherapy — standard for lymphoma.

When the lab results came back, they were surprising: None of the cells analyzed showed signs of lymphoma. Puzzled, the oncologists continued the treatment but sent the cells for even more sensitive molecular analysis; it confirmed that George’s tumor was not lymphoma. Veterinarians ran more tests, including a CT scan, an MRI, and a tissue biopsy. The results: a tumor had corkscrewed up George’s spinal canal.

“This tumor was way more invasive than we could have ever imagined. The prior imaging with radiographs and ultrasound just didn’t do it justice,” said Leah Ackerman, D.V.M., a medical oncology resident at the hospital who worked on George’s case. “This clearly wasn’t lymphoma; it was just not behaving like lymphoma. But in such a young dog, what could it be?”

Ultimately, the team diagnosed George with a peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor, or pPNET, originating from the chest cavity. His case marks the first documented instance of a living dog treated for this type of tumor. Previous reports were based on necropsies.

“Every step of George’s journey has provided invaluable insights for veterinary oncology,” Ackerman said, adding that George’s case underscores the importance of thorough diagnostic testing and thinking beyond conventional diagnoses.

“If the clinical picture doesn’t fit perfectly, we must explore further. George’s case reminds us not to get blinded by common diagnoses and to pursue individualized, precision-based medicine for each patient.”

The UF team collaborated with the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology in Jupiter, Florida, to conduct an NCI-179 chemotherapy panel on George’s tumor cells — also a first in veterinary medicine. This precision medicine technique, more commonly used in humans, helped George’s oncologists validate the effectiveness of their original drug choice and showed the panel could be a useful tool to guide early treatment regimens..

George’s treatment included radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and an experimental immunotherapy vaccine created by Rowan Milner, B.V.Sc., Ph.D., a UF professor of medical oncology at the college and a member of the UF Health Cancer Center.

“The fact that George’s tumor responded to our immunotherapy vaccine showed us how much we’re still learning about the power of immunotherapy and the need to sometimes think outside of the box,” Milner added. “George’s case was an eye-opener for all of us.”

Despite the aggressive cancer, the treatment extended George’s life by eight months, far exceeding the expected prognosis.

“He even got to celebrate his second birthday, which was so very special,” Tavares said.

George joined Tavares’ family after the pandemic at the start of a new school year, helping ease his kids’ transition back to school.

“He was very much a family member from Day 1. He had such an infectious and fun personality, and he could always make us laugh,” Tavares said. “Everyone who met him fell in love with him, no one more than us.”

Unfortunately, George ultimately succumbed to his cancer in late July. While his family still mourns his loss, Tavares takes comfort that every step was taken to save George.

“We did everything,” he said. “George had such an amazing quality of life, and every day we got was a blessing.”

Tavares hopes George’s case and a research paper the veterinary oncologists plan to write about him will help other dogs — and potentially, children — who face the rare disease.

Tavares said he appreciated how UF’s veterinarians were always available to discuss the case, and offered guidance and compassion when it was clear that George’s cancer had advanced beyond doctors’ ability to contain it.

“George was one of the greatest teachers of my life,” Tavares said. “In his two short years, he taught me more than I ever thought possible about being present in the current moment, unconditional love, spirituality, and how to live and fight on in the face of unsurmountable odds.”