Purdue University Veterinary Medical
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 7
WINTER - SPRING 1984
SVM Celebrates Silver Anniversary
1,311 DVM Degrees A warded in First 25 Years
In the context of time, 25 years can be
viewed as an eternity or as a speck. It
does mark the life of Purdue University's
School of Veterinary Medicine, which
opened its doors to the first class in 1959,
and which is the third formal veterinary
medical educational program to have
been a part of the Hoosier scene.
What of its success, and how does one
measure the worthiness of such an effort?
Three products can be judged to answer
this question:     (a) The graduates.    To
date, 1,311 D.V.M. degrees have been
awarded, and the holders of these degrees
are filling important niches nationwide in
practice, in industry, in academia, and in
government service. The veterinary technology program, the best in the nation,
begun in 1975, has produced 181 graduates who are highly sought after. The cooperative effort in human medical education with Indiana University has been eminently successful, and graduate programs
and   specialty    training   programs   have
grown both in size and quality; (b) Research. The School, in part, grew out of a
veterinary science department whose faculty had been well-known and respected
for its research efforts in animal diseases,
especially infectious diseases. This continues and has expanded into cancer research, cellular differentiation and tissue
regeneration, and endotoxic shock. Research is a projected growth area over the
next 25 years with the goal of making it
as productive and eminent as the formal
educational program; (c) Service. Service
is the cornerstone of all professions, and
the public perception of a profession is
directly related to the service provided by
its members. The teaching hospital, field
services, continuing education programs,
and cooperative extension activities constitute the School's major service efforts.
Within the limits of available resources,
our image is judged to be good-and improving. Like research, this is an area in
which we hope and expect to grow.
During the academic year 1984-1985, we
wili celebrate our Silver Anniversary in a
number of ways with scheduled events
listed elsewhere in this issue of UPDA TE.
We are thankful for the opportunities
provided over the past 25 years and believe firmly that the trust given us has
been admirably fulfilled and a firm foundation is in place on which to build for
the next quarter century.
J. J. Stockton
Comparative Oncology at Purdue
PCOP A ids Understanding of Cancer
The Purdue Comparative Oncology Program (PCOP) is a research/service activity
simultaneously dedicated to compassionate patient care of animals with cancer
while providing information to the scientific community that can be used for further understanding of cancer in all species, including humans. Members interact
with other cancer researchers and professionals to search for the causes and treatment of cancer. Rather than laboratory
animal models PCOP's animal models are
family pets with spontaneously-occurring
tumors. Pets in this program receive the
best possible medical care when they enter a treatment program, and the owners
get a financial assist from research grants
obtained from government agencies and
private industry, which help to pay for
the treatment. In addition PCOP maintains carefully collected records on dogs
and cats with cancer from Central Indiana. The program provides an example of
how a large number of people with varying backgrounds and abilities can work
together in a multidisciplinary manner
and accomplish a common goal.
In 1979 Dr. Gordon L. Coppoc, professor
arid head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, helped transform a
dream into reality. For several years
many members of the School of Veterinary Medicine had discussed the need to
lend more organization to cancer treatment and research. With the assistance of
Dr. William W. Carlton, professor of pathology; Dr. Ralph C. Richardson, associate professor of small animal medicine;
and Dr. Walter E. Weirich, professor and
head of the Department of Small Animal
Clinics, Dr. Coppoc received a grant from
the Showalter Trust of Indianapolis to
support the establishment of a tumor registry. The registry was initially conceived
to compare the incidence of tumors in
pets with that of their owners' thinking
of a pos^Dle early warning system for en-
vironml^Ply induced cancers.   It quick
ly became apparent that such a concept
was much more involved than was possible with the funding available. As a compromise, a tumor diagnostic service was
initiated for Marion and Tippecanoe
counties. All practicing veterinarians in
the target areas were visited, and 100 a-
greed to exchange access to their clients
for diagnostic services on suspect cancer
cases. Appropriate facilities of the Small
Animal Clinics were available for experimental and compassionate cancer treatment, and the accessions began. Today,
less than five years later, nearly 6,000
dogs and cats, some with multiple tumors, are recorded in PCOP's files. The
information in the registry comes from
Central Indiana animals, but proposals to
extend the program to a wider area have
been considered-perhaps even to the entire state of Indiana. The center has become computerized, and it is now possible to quickly retrieve information.
Patient care is an important part of
PCOP's overall mission. Under the direction of clinic staff, many animals are
treated in either the home-veterinarian's
clinic or, for special cases, in the Purdue
Small Animal Clinic. Clinic visits are kept
as short as possible with the intent to
maintain an acceptable quality of life for
as long as possible in the home environment.
Surgery is the most common treatment
provided by the primary care veterinarian. Purdue's surgery staff has provided
varying kinds of help for those cases requiring special surgical skills. Various
modes of therapy including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and experimental
treatments, are available following surgery. Chemotherapy protocols are provided to veterinarians so that data on a
large number of animals treated in a standardized manner can be gathered. For
those veterinarians who so desire, chemotherapy will be initiated at Purdue wfl
the patient then returning home for the
continuation of treatment. Animals
needing radiation therapy are brought to
the Univeisity.
Eli Lilly and Company, Miles Pharmaceuticals, and Clinitherm Corporation have
worked closely with PCOP and provided
support for experimental therapy. Collaborative efforts within the University
have led to funding through major multi-
year grants from the National Cancer Institute. Several small grants from the Purdue Cancer Center have also provided
funding for treatment.
Promising results have come from several
of the research areas.   Two of the most
tion/hyperthermia therapy combines a
standard modality of treatment (radiation) with an experimental form of therapy (heat). The program utilizes the only
human treatment unit located in an animal treatment facility to deliver focused
microwave heat. More than 100 animals
have been treated in this manner and
most have demonstrated positive results
in the control of localized tumors. Both
the magnetic microsphere therapy and
the radiation/hyperthermia therapy are
being refined and protocols improved.
The future of the program is promising.
Several major pharmaceutical companies,
manufacturers of hyperthermia equipment, and other research centers are interested in collaborating in the use of
naturally-occurring tumors as models.
Pet owners and veterinarians continue to
Kent Carpenter and Dr. Ralph Richardson demonstrate heat therapy with the microwave therapy unit to Nancy Reams and Jerry Edington.
exciting are in the areas of targeted
drug delivery and radiation/hyperthermia.
Magnetic drug-bearing microspheres
trapped by an externally placed electromagnet are being utilized to deliver anticancer drugs to tumors in the legs of
dogs. Almost none of the chemothera-
peutic material escapes the tumor, and
systemic toxicity is thus avoided.   Radia-
be supportive and encouraging, and the
University has provided support and encouragement to help the program grow.
With persistence, a multidisciplinary approach, and carefully planned research, it
may be possible to provide a few more
answers in helping to conquer one of biology's greatest nemesis. . . cancer.
Ralph C. R^^dson, D. V.M.