Advances in veterinary oncology: From a melanoma vaccine to genetic testing

To initiate this year’s dvm360 Fetch Charlotte conference in North Carolina, Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), global director of clinical studies at Mars Veterinary Health, delivered a keynote address on some of the top clinically relevant advances in veterinary oncology. Among the advancements discussed were a new, highly effective drug for nausea and vomiting; a vaccine for melanoma; and a pharmacogenetic test related to ‘white feet don’t treat.’

A more effective treatment for managing nausea and vomiting

As Bergman explained, vomiting is a significant problem in both human and animal oncology patients, even outside of those undergoing chemotherapy. Many patients receiving surgery, radiation, or tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) will experience nausea and subsequently vomiting.

In animal patients, more than 90% will experience vomiting with cisplatin if untreated and approximately 10% to 20% may have overt delayed vomiting. Although the approximate percentage of patients who experience vomiting is known, the percent of those who experience nausea remains unknown, according to Bergman.

“...it’s easy for clients to know what overt vomiting is, but if you ask them, ‘Did Fluffy have any nausea over the last 3 weeks?’ invariably, they'll say ‘no.’ But if you actually arm them with what nausea looks like in the dog, then all of a sudden they say, ‘Yes, oh yeah, I do remember Fluffy walked up to the food bowl, kind of licked their lips, walked away—kind of like the waterfalls we have when we're nauseous,” said Bergman during his session. “So I think we actually underestimate the amount of nausea that our patients go through, and we know that there's huge quality of life implications to that.”

Much like the human medication Emend, an NK1 receptor antagonist for treating nausea and vomiting, particularly related to chemotherapy, Cerenia—a novel, veterinary-only medication for treating vomiting and nausea in cats and dogs—is also an NK1 receptor antagonist that is highly effective. As Bergman explained, the FDA-approved drug has been found to successfully block Ipecac—a direct-acting emetogen— and Apomorphine, an indirect-acting emetogen, giving the drug “superior broad spectrum efficacy.”

According to Bergman, recent studies have suggested that Cerenia may also help reduce diarrhea.

The vaccine for canine malignant melanoma

Canine malignant melanoma is the most common oral tumor of dogs, accounting for approximately 4% of all canine tumors.1 As Bergman explained, chemotherapy has poor efficacy against this cancer, and prior to the melanoma vaccine, treatment options were limited, with many of them being only being effective at obtaining local control.

The melanoma vaccine, however, uses a needle-free delivery system—the Bioject system—which spreads the vaccine throughout the skin. As a result, this therapy is better at inducing an immune response compared to a traditional needle-based delivery method.1 As Bergman explained, the vaccine, which received full USDA approval in 2009, shows best outcomes with stage 1 melanoma because veterinarians have the “longest runway” for inducing an immune response.

‘White feet, don’t treat’

“All right, how many folks have heard of this thing called ‘white feet, don't treat?” Bergman asked his audience during his session. The phrase ‘white feet, don’t treat’ refers to the MDR1 mutation in certain dog breeds, particularly those with white feet, that can lead to dogs developing neutropenia and thrombocytopenia if they are administered ivermectin.

However, the pharmacogenetic test determines whether a dog has one or 2 alleles, helping to identify at-risk breeds, which include Australian Shepherds, Collies, Silken Windhounds, McNabs, and long-haired Whippets. According to Bergman, the mutation affects 65% of long-haired Whippets.1

At the end of his section on ‘white feet, don’t treat,’ Bergman posed a question to the audience: “When should we really be testing these dogs? Should it be when they get cancer?” he asked. Bergman emphasized that these canines should be getting tested when they are puppies. Understanding whether these puppies carry the mutation can help identify which drugs may pose risks to them, ensuring safer treatment options throughout their lives.

“Thankfully, the cost for that test has come way down,” he said.

References

1. Bergman P. Top 10 advances in veterinary oncology. Presented at: Fetch Charlotte; Charlotte, North Carolina. March 14-16, 2025.
2. Huston L. Ivermectin for dogs. The Spruce Pets. October 6, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://www.thesprucepets.com/is-ivermectin-safe-dogs-and-cats-3384698#:~:text=Ivermectin%20Sensitivity%20in%20Collies%20and%20Similar%20Breeds&text=Symptoms%20of%20neurotoxicity%20include%20lack,generally%20safe%20for%20these%20dogs.