CSU Animal Cancer Center

12/24/2025

The Holly's Legacy patient assistance grant granted Sully a new lease on life 💛

"In July of 2025, our 6-year-old Golden Retriever, Sully, was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma on his chest by the veterinary staff at the FACC. On July 25th, Sully had surgery to remove the tumor and two other cysts on his body. A chest X-ray showed the cancer had not metastasized to his lungs. We believe all of the tumor was removed during surgery. The FACC granted us funds to cover some of Sully’s medical costs. We are very grateful for your gift, without which, Sully’s medical care would have been a significant hardship for our family. Sully is such a sweet, gentle, goofy boy, and we love him dearly. We cried a lot when he was diagnosed with cancer, and we were terrified of losing him. After his successful surgery, we cried tears of joy.

"Due to your kindness and generosity, and the competence and skill of the entire team at the FACC, Sully is doing great, and hopefully, we will have our Golden boy in our lives for many more years to come. Thank you for giving him back to us."

- Pamela B., Sully's Owner

Thank you for making patient assistance grants possible. Give today to ensure that all pets like Sully get a fighting chance against cancer: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/give-to-patient-assistance/

12/23/2025

Happy Clinical Trials Tuesday! We have a new study available for dogs that have been diagnosed with B cell lymphoma. This study is evaluating the safety and immune effects of a novel immunotherapy treatment when injected directly into an affected lymph node. Click here to read more: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/clinical-trial/safety-and-biologic-effects-of-intranodal-injection-of-a-nonspecific-immunomodulator-in-canine-b-cell-lymphoma/

Canine B Cell Lymphoma clinical trial at the Flint Animal Cancer Center to measure the safety and immune effects of a novel drug.

12/22/2025

Give the gift of cancer care 🎁

For many families, these challenging times spell hardship. When a beloved four-legged family member is diagnosed with cancer, the added strain can feel impossible.

At the Flint Animal Cancer Center, we believe no one should have to choose between financial stability and giving their pet a fighting chance. That’s why our donor-funded patient assistance grants exist: to make compassionate cancer care accessible to families who need it most.

Patient assistance grants are the lifeblood of our work, but we've nearly depleted our funds to cover patient care. Your generosity brings hope, healing, and more precious time together.

This holiday season, we humbly ask you to consider giving the gift of care. Give today: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/give-to-patient-assistance/

12/20/2025

Beau Battles Cancer with Your Support ❤️

With the support of donors like you, we can ensure that best buds like Beau have a fighting chance against cancer. Beau's mom, Tara, recently shared their story:

"I know everyone thinks their dog is special - but Beau truly is a once-in-a-lifetime dog. He was the runt of a litter of mini Aussies. He was the last little brown dog that no one wanted. But I wanted him.

"I have shared so many amazing memories with Beau as his person, owner, mama, and coworker. He is my little guardian, my super smart boy, my hiking buddy, and has been there for me through really rough points in my life.

"Recently, Beau was suddenly acting down, not himself. I took him to the vet, and we discovered a liver mass. I was heartbroken to say the least. I brought him to CSU for the best care.

"I appreciate the financial help that I have gotten to have my Beau for a little bit longer. Thank you to the donors who helped me start his treatment at CSU. It’s hard for me to imagine not having him in my life anymore. I love him so much. I will continue to do what I can for him. And I cherish what time I have left with him."

~ Tara D., Beau's Person

This holiday season, give the gift of care to families like Beau's. Donate to a patient assistance fund: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/give-to-patient-assistance/

12/19/2025

Rounds: Twice a Day, Every Day!

At the Flint Animal Cancer Center, our commitment to exceptional patient care goes beyond treatment — it’s about consistency, collaboration, and compassion. Every single day, we round up our entire team – medical, surgical, radiation oncology, and clinical trials – and talk about each case.

Rounds make all the difference. They allow us to:

❤️ Provide better care. Cancer care can change quickly. Twice-daily rounds ensure we understand each case, and we all have up-to-date information.

🩺 Collaborate. Our team – all specialties at all levels of training – engage in rounds. This gives us the chance to collaborate on treatment modalities to find the best path forward.

✏️ Teach. DVM students, interns, residents, and fellows all participate in rounds. This interactive environment fosters a time for everyone to ask questions and learn.

Rounds are who we are and how we provide the best for our team and patients.

12/18/2025

Marika Klosowski and other members of Dr. Regan's Investigational Pathology laboratory were recently published in the prestigious and highly-cited journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This is a big milestone for the lab.

An explanation of their work is as follows:

Patients with breast cancer that has spread to the lungs need more effective treatment options, as lung-metastatic breast cancer is often highly resistant to chemotherapy. To address this, we created a simplified model to study how normal resident structural cells (fibroblasts) of the lung change as they encounter arriving breast cancer cells and how these interactions promote therapy resistance. Using this system, we found that breast cancer cells with the highest potential for lung metastasis can coerce normal lung fibroblasts to adopt tumor-promoting characteristics. We additionally uncovered how direct contact with lung fibroblasts signals breast cancer cells to turn on gene and metabolic programs, allowing them to survive in the lung and resist treatment, and identified a class of experimental drugs that can block this process and sensitize lung-metastatic breast cancer cells to therapy.

Find the publication here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2423894122

12/17/2025

When you give to patient assistance grants, you give families the gift of more time together. ❤️

Now more than ever, our clients need financial resources to fight cancer, including Kaylee's family –

"In May, I found out that my girl Kaylee (aka Monkey) had a cancerous tumor, and while the staff at the FACC was calm and collected, I was not. That is because exactly three years ago, almost to the week, I had gotten a devastating cancer diagnosis for my older dog, Zoe, from a mass that was almost in the same location. Her mass ended up being adenocarcinoma, and even with the FACC’s great care, she passed away six months later. So to say I was a mess when Kaylee’s biopsy came back as cancerous is an understatement.

"The FACC team was willing to work with me and Kaylee to get the proper tests done to verify what kind of cancer she had. Everyone was respectful of that choice and understanding of the fact that I was on a very low-income budget and had to balance every choice for testing and care with what I could afford.

"Kaylee is now four months out from surgery, where a stage 1 sarcoma was removed. She recovered easily and is back to her happy, goofy self. I cannot express how happy that makes me.

"The FACC has now helped me twice in a time of heavy stress for my girls. I’m incredibly grateful for their care for Kaylee and the grant from Jessy’s Leash of Love. Without this grant, I would not have been able to get her the surgery Kaylee needed, and I cannot thank you all enough for that. My gratitude for everyone’s help for Kaylee’s care is endless. Thank you all!" - Sommer C., Kaylee's Owner

Give the gift of time today: www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/give-to-patient-assistance/

12/16/2025

Happy Clinical Trials Tuesday! We are still recruiting dogs diagnosed with soft tissue sarcomas that are amenable to surgery for a clinical trial. The study is testing the safety and anti-cancer activity of a form of immunotherapy called CAR T cells that are targeting a protein that is expressed on the tumor cells. You can learn more about this study here: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/clinical-trial/clinical-testing-of-canine-t-cells-engineered-to-target-osteosarcoma-and-soft-tissue-sarcoma-in-combination-with-oral-immunotherapy/

Clinical Testing of Canine T cells clinical trial at the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University.

12/15/2025

At Colorado State University, undergraduate students take part in research projects each year. They gain unparalleled learning alongside CSU faculty – all the while, contributing to our communities and world.

Our very own, Dr. Thamm, was recently featured for his teaching and mentorship of undergraduate student, Milayo Garner.

Read more here:

Thousands of CSU undergraduate students take part in mentored research and artistry, finding transformative hands-on learning that shapes their academic and career paths and often improves the lives of others.

12/11/2025

Working in cancer care is hard, but letters like this keep us going ❤️

To the entire team at the Flint Animal Cancer Center –

I am writing to thank you for the extraordinary care and unwavering support you gave my soul dog, Stella, over the last two years of her life.

Facing a cancer diagnosis for your best friend is terrifying, but your compassionate and expert team at the FACC gave us hope and stability. Every conversation, every appointment, and every treatment was handled with a level of dedication that provided not just medical excellence, but true comfort.

You saw Stella as the unique, loving dog she was and treated her with dignity and grace. Stella was able to enjoy two more years of a beautiful, adventurous life because of your cutting-edge treatments. Knowing we had your expertise and support, even through the endless calls and emails, allowed me to focus on making the most of every day I had left with her.

Thank you for your tireless work and for supporting your patients and their families as you do.

With deepest gratitude, Angel

12/10/2025

Small dog. Big fight. ❤️ 💪

"Elsie is a nearly 13-year-old Boxer/Husky/Samoyed mix. I adopted her at 1.5, and she’s been a handful ever since. She has always been spunky, opinionated, loyal, and mischievous (just like her mother).

"In March 2025, Elsie was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma that took up most of her left arm within a month. We rushed to get her into surgery, and they were able to remove the mass, but the leftover cancerous cells threatened to spread anyway. Ultimately, we followed the FACC’s recommendation to remove her leg; they found the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and a**l sac.

"We desperately needed financial assistance to keep Elsie in the game, and that’s when we were introduced to Gracie’s Legacy.

"Upon her last check-up, we were able to utilize the grant to get an ultrasound and monitor the spread. It has slowed enough that we don’t have to make any more aggressive moves at this point. This grant afforded us the opportunity and time to make logical decisions and make sure we can give her the best life possible.

"Elsie has completely recovered from her amputation and continues running, jumping, sliding, and annoying her sister. If you listen closely, I bet you can hear her collar jingling from her excited for dinnertime hops. THANK YOU for helping us keep my soul dog as long as possible." - Laura, Elsie's owner

This holiday season, you can ensure that soul dogs like Elsie get the care they need. Give today: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/give-to-patient-assistance/

12/09/2025

Happy Clinical Trials Tuesday! Our clinical trial for dogs that have recently been diagnosed with a tumor called hemangiosarcoma of the spleen is still enrolling patients. This trial seeks to stimulate the patient’s own immune system to "Scout Out" and kill the cancer cells. All dogs will receive standard of care chemotherapy and will be randomized to receive either a novel anti-cancer vaccine or control vaccine. More information is available about this study on our website: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/clinical-trial/soch-scout-out-hemangiosarcoma-study/

This canine clinical trial for dogs with Hemangiosarcoma assess the safety and effectiveness of a specially designed vaccine.