Practicing Medicine That Moves the Field Forward
December 19, 2025
When Rollo, an otherwise healthy 8-year-old boxer, was rushed to urgent care late one night; his condition was critical. He was struggling to breathe, with pale gums and cold extremities. Diagnostic imaging revealed splenic tumors which are often associated with hemangiosarcoma and a historically poor prognosis.
Cases like Rollo’s are among the most challenging in veterinary medicine. They demand rapid coordination across emergency, surgery, internal medicine, and oncology, often with limited information to guide difficult decisions. For clinicians, these moments require not only medical expertise, but sound judgment, clear communication, and close collaboration across teams.
Rollo was transferred to Colorado Animal Specialty & Emergency (CASE), an Ethos network hospital, where his care team had the opportunity to collaborate with Ethos Discovery, Ethos Veterinary Health’s nonprofit research incubator. Through this connection, Rollo enrolled in the Ethos Precision Medicine Umbrella Study for Hemangiosarcoma (ETHOS-PUSH), a study designed to improve understanding of splenic tumors and inform future approaches to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
Four months after surgery, Rollo was in remission. He got back to enjoying life, a reminder of what becomes possible when clinical care and research work hand in hand.
Advancing Understanding of Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) remains one of the most aggressive cancers in dogs, with limited effective treatment options and no reliable path to long-term survival. Because HSA frequently presents as an emergency and involves multiple specialty services throughout a hospital, its unmet clinical needs are widely recognized across the veterinary profession.
The PUSH Study, nominated as a semi-finalist for the AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Canine Health Discovery of the Year Award, followed more than 500 dogs with splenic tumors. Led by Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVP; Joelle Fenger, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology); and Sam Stewart, DVM, DACVECC, the study challenged long-held assumptions by demonstrating that a meaningful portion of splenic tumors previously presumed malignant were, in fact, benign.
This evolving understanding is already influencing how veterinarians approach diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning, bringing greater clarity to cases like Rollo’s.
From Research to Real-World Care
Building on earlier research, including the Canine Hemangiosarcoma Molecular Profiling study, Ethos Discovery is advancing a coordinated precision-medicine research program focused on hemangiosarcoma. Current and planned studies include ETHOS-PUSH, therapeutic trials, and the Canine Hemangiosarcoma Precision Medicine and Liquid Biopsy Program (CHAMP). These efforts aim to refine diagnostic accuracy, improve prognostic insight, and explore more targeted treatment strategies.
For veterinary professionals at Ethos, this work is not separate from clinical practice. Across our network of 140 emergency and specialty hospitals, clinicians partner directly with Ethos Discovery to identify unmet needs, contribute to research, and help translate new knowledge back into patient care.
Rollo’s remission reflects more than a positive outcome for one dog and his family. It represents the kind of meaningful work that happens when veterinary professionals are empowered to care for patients while also helping shape the future of medicine.
