Experts at the Cleveland Clinic have successfully treated cancer in some of “man’s best friend”, and this may lead to an fascinating new approach on how to fight cancer in people as well.

Joseph A. Bauer, PhD at the 237th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, presented research on just this topic. The research built on more than 60 years of effort toward developing a B12 based attack for cancer.

The story starts with a dog by the name of Oscar, a ten year old Bichon Frise who unfortunately had an aggressive type of cancer known as anal sac adenocarcinoma.

After treatment with the standard chemotherapy and radiation, with no improvement, Oscar was left unable to walk and with only three months to live.

As a last hope, Oscar was given a potentially cancer killing medicine known as nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl for short).

Within 14 days his cancer had improved significantly and he was back on his feet.

This compound has now been given to other dogs with equally promising results and no negative side effects. This drug targets cancer cells like a “Trojan horse”, delivered by being hidden inside something that looks harmless or beneficial.

The medication is made of nitric oxide that’s attached to vitamin B12. Researchers know that receptors on cell surfaces will attract the vitamin and assist it in getting into the cell.

Cancer cells have more B12 receptors; and so the unsuspecting cancer cell takes in this compound. Once inside, the nitric oxide is released and the cell dies.

Bauer’s and his team is ultrasound and MRI imaging to monitor tumor sizes in all three of the dogs currently undergoing treatment.

After 9 months of NO-Cbl the spinal tumor of a 6 year old golden retriever, Buddy, has been reduced by 40%, and the inoperable thyroid cancer of a 13 year old female giant schnauzer by 77% in just ten weeks of treatment.

A fourth dog, Haley, also a golden retriever, is being treated for a spinal tumor. And once the team treated ten dogs successfully with the drug, they’ll attempt to get FDA approval to test the medication in people.

Bauer believes firmly that what works in these animals holds promise for treating their owners as well. Despite what you might think, mice aren’t the only good subjects to use for such research.

He points out that people and dogs are genetically similar – enough to make a successful case for approval from the FDA.

Interesting to know that the National Cancer Institute has data on pets.

After all, they breathe the same air we do; drink the same water we do and eat processed foods just like we do.

“We are one of the few research groups that is offering to treat dogs with cancer that otherwise have no hope,” Bauer points out. “With no other options available, most people in this situation opt to euthanize so that their pets don’t go through the pain of disease and trauma of surgery.”

The good news for dog owners is that this new method may also offers hope for a faithful friend who might be one of the estimated 6 million dogs in the U.S. alone diagnosed with cancer each year.

It’s a rare thing for research to uncover a treatment that can be used for animals, and yet holds realistic promise for people as well.

Next – just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more information on how to fight cancer, plus for a limited time get 5 free fantastic health reports. Click here for the automated video on this study on how to fight cancer.