Ethos-PUSH: Real Patient Stories from Real Pet Owners
Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a type of cancer that develops from the cells that normally create blood vessels (endothelial cells) and it is one of the most malignant forms of cancer in dogs. Ethos Discovery seeks to deliver a highly advanced clinical trial program investigating the use of novel drugs for the treatment of HSA with the goal of curing this aggressive cancer. The Ethos-PUSH will ask if drugs specifically matched to the genomic subtypes of patients with HSA will result in improved outcomes.
Read real client stories about their pet’s experience being a part of the Ethos-PUSH clinical trial below.
Bubbly, the Rescue Dog from Mexico
In March 2010, 9-month-old Bubbly, a rescue dog from Mexico met his person, Patsy. Patsy had lost her dog Gypsy just 18 months prior and was not looking for a new dog. But then, as often happens, while at a rescue she met this sweet, loving pup. She learned quickly that similar to his energy his jumps were also high, really high, his hindlegs could get over her head and fences.
Patsy and Bubbly quickly built a strong bond – he was a happy, well-behaved puppy who enjoyed walks and spending time with his dog friends. At the young age of 1 year old, he developed a Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT). He took well to chemotherapy and fully recovered with only minor side effects from the treatment.
Over the years, Patsy’s canine family grew to also include Eddy and Bella. One Saturday evening in November 2020, Bubbly began to whimper and this continued all night. She brought him to VSH – North County and received the devastating news that sweet Bubbly had a Hemoabdomen. He would need surgery to remove his spleen, and a biopsy would be needed to determine if it was cancer.
Six weeks after his surgery, and with a diagnosis of Hemangiosarcoma, Bubbly became one of Ethos Discovery’s first patients on Phase II of Ethos-PUSH.
After 6 months on the trial Bubbly was doing well, again with only minor side effects from the treatment. He enjoyed treats, walks, and spending time with his family. Thanks to Ethos-PUSH, Bubbly saw more days than normally expected, including his 12th birthday.
1 year and 4 months after enrollment in the trial
Bubbly’s hemangiosarcoma finally won on March 17. He had severe internal bleeding from tumors on his abdomen and liver. Dr. Miller was miraculously available to ease Bubbly’s suffering. Bubbly loved Dr. Miller and her technician, Betsy. It was Bubbly’s time to leave his mom. He survived 16 months and 3 days from hemangiosarcoma diagnosis and operation to remove his spleen. Patsy is so very grateful to have had more than an extra year with her fur baby thanks to the Ethos study. It was a real blessing but also an emotional roller coaster in the last few months. Ethos will be on Patsy’s charity contribution list every year in remembrance of her boy dog and she’s so very thankful. “Best wishes to all the studies at Ethos Discovery giving pet parents hope when our fur babies succumb to the myriad of diseases that affect them,” from Bubbly’s owner Patsy.
Koey, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Cindy and Gary were desperate when they heard their dog had cancer. Koey, their 15-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, was their 5th corgi. Koey joined the family when he was 10 weeks old. Not that they limited their love to corgis, they also have a German Shepherd. They had experienced canine cancer before, as their previous dog had lymphoma and did well after a year on treatment. However, that did not prepare them for the surprise diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. Last year during a general checkup, their veterinarian felt something on Koey’s spleen. They began looking for Oncologists when Koey collapsed, and they rushed him to the hospital. Luckily his spleen didn’t rupture, and he was able to have a splenectomy. Koey was then enrolled onto Ethos-PUSH.
They entered Koey on the trial because it was free, and they love their dogs. Koey was part of their family. Cindy describes Koey as a pistol, who has trained them well and never missed a walk. Good days and bad he loved his walk, starting slow at first but then getting to a good pace with his energy up.
over 1year after enrollment in the trial
Koey passed away in April, more than one year after his splenectomy and enrolling on Ethos-PUSH. Cindy and Gary cherished everyday they had with Koey and are grateful for the time the study provided. Cindy said, “Looking back at all the videos and photos of Koey, we are amazed how (despite the cancer), Koey was so vibrant and energetic! We were blessed to have had him for so long. I hope his memory lives on by helping others. We hope his experience helps other families and gives them hope especially when diagnosed with cancer.”