The Washington Post recently ran a story quoting Dr. Amy LeBlanc, DVM, director of NCI’s Comparative Oncology Program and a member of the Integrated Canine Data Commons (ICDC) Steering Committee. Additionally, Dr. LeBlanc is a member of the NCI Senior Advisory Committee that serves as the final point of approval and prioritization for incoming data submission requests for the ICDC.

From the Washington Post:

Dogs and their owners are said to look alike, but that resemblance is more than skin deep.

They also have genetic similarities that extend to cancerous tumors and make dogs prime candidates for clinical trials that are pushing forward development of cancer drugs for both canines and humans, especially in the past decade, scientists say.

Compelling genetic data, increased funding and growing collaborations between veterinarians and oncologists were things “we dreamed about 10 years ago,” said Amy LeBlanc, director of the Comparative Oncology Program at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). “Now it’s becoming reality.”

Comparative oncology — the study of cancers in companion animals that researchers hope will translate to human treatments — has picked up steam because a vast majority of cancer clinical trials fail.

Read the full story in The Washington Post.