Relevance of veterinary oncology in human cancer research

Research in veterinary and animal sciences has always been the backbone to yield information for understanding the biology and disease processes in the humans. The research in cancer using laboratory animals has so far generated voluminous information and understanding of cancer, however, its application in treatment and prevention of human cancer has been utterly unsatisfactory. Complete sequencing of dog genome recently has revealed startling evolutionary similarities with humans, bringing a turning point in the way of cancer research. Comparative oncology is the talk of the day, wherein spontaneously occurring dog cancers, most of which are similar to those of humans, are under focus to understand biology and cancer drug development and trials for quick usage in humans suffering from cancer. The situation in India with respect to comparative oncology is also discussed.