Meet Deston!  

He's our third Great Dane to have been diagnosed with cancer.  We found a lump on his inner upper thigh that just didn't feel right.  We watched it for a little while and then scheduled a vet appointment.  Our vet, due to Deston's age, wanted to watch it a little bit longer before doing further testing to be on the safe side.  We noticed it growing so back to the vet we went.  We scheduled surgery to have it removed and sent off for testing.  It came back as a low grade sarcoma.  He is doing great.  We will continue regular checks and check ups with our vet.  

This is why the NCCF puts so much effort into reminding everyone to CHECK YOUR DOG.  

These regular checks are a key component in fighting canine cancer. ~ Kelly F.

The factual synopsis is:

May 2011 I noticed a small lump under Leo's eye. The vet assured me it was very likely an impacted tooth and if it got worse would enlarge or might go away on own. Nov. 16,2011 As I was catching my breathe after a super busy travel and new-job season, I noticed the lump had not changed. I was referred to a dental specialist. She called me two days later to say the lump was a cancer in his facial bones. There were few cases and some had tried removing it which equated to taking half the jaw and nose. NOT something I would consider. Nov. 19, 2011 An abandoned black lab, named Lily, walked into our lives by joining the pups in a walk after dark in a snow storm. She immediately attached to being Leo's cheerleader. And then he didn't want to play. Nov. 22, 2011 Diagnosed with lymphoma. Leo had an amazing oncology team that practiced alternative medicines (he thrived with acupuncture) and supported me as well as him. We agreed to do as much as we could, for as long as we could, until Leo said he was done and then we would days thank you for the extra time. May 5 Diagnosed with leukemia. The third cancer. May 10, 2011 As many have done, I gave him a day full of his favorite things. Lily laid pressed beside him. She had never done this otherwise. May 12, 2011 Not interested in food, but determined to go on a walk.

When I visited with the oncologist office months later these points were made: 1) They had never seen a person and dog fight so hard and through what was ultimately three cancers. 2) Leo's initial diagnosis made him the ninth golden retriever with that flavor of cancer. At that point it became a breed-specific cancer.

I was surprised that so few cases were enough to be a relevant sample. Our oncologist explained that most people do not have the money, time, energy and willing vulnerability to go far past the initial diagnosis. This leaves science with limited information to work from. They called me a year later to let me know that because we stood with Leo so long that other dogs were benefitting by earlier diagnosis and treatment plan mixes.  The heartbreak of losing a golden to cancer was too much so I asked about other "less-cancerous" breeds. The oncologist shared with me that most every breed has a presdisposition to some form of cancer. He also told me about a dedicated team to nip cancers as early as possible with quality research. And so I joined the NCCF efforts.  ~ Melonie S.