Scientists are researching cancer in dogs to find ways to improve medication for humans. Recently, some research from the dog trials is showing it might be useful if applied to humans.

A dog named Oscar has successfully fought a cancer using drugs these scientists have made. Oscar was supposed to live no more than three months after his diagnosis, but has now been alive for five years since his owners were given the terrible news.

Cancer experiments used to be administered to rats, but testing on dogs is much more efficient. This is because dogs are more closely related to humans. Also, the tumors that sprout up in dogs are spontaneous like those that are in humans. Rat tumors are genetically bred into the rats, making them different when compared to those that are spontaneous.

The medication is still a couple of  years away from being used on humans, but this is much sooner than it would be if scientists weren’t using dogs. Without dogs, the medication would be at least a decade away, but since dogs age faster than humans, research can be done at a quicker rate.

The medication works like a Trojan Horse. The cancer killing elements are combined with B12, which attracts itself to the cancer cells, and allows the cancer killing elements in.

Some may think that testing these drugs on dogs in inhumane, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. These dogs would probably be put down if their owners didn’t agree to clinical trials. In most of the dogs’ cases, this testing is their only chance.