Dr. Nick Dervisis with Virginia Tech's Animal Cancer Care and Research Clinic gives a physical exam to a dog. He is a lead researcher in the clinic's dog "fingerprint" test, which can identify the presence of cancer in dogs. Image/Article: Lindsey Cook and Dorothy Sedovic, WDBJ - Roanoke, Virigia 
Researchers develop test to detect cancer in dogs early
Veterinary experts say cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs, but thanks to new research done by the Virginia Tech Animal Cancer Care and Research Center, veterinarians could start screening for cancer in dogs early and tackle the problem in advance.
Dr. Nick Dervisis, a veterinarian and medical oncologist, has helped lead the research, along with researchers at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
The team uses a urine sample, which allows them to identify a healthy or cancerous “fingerprint” in dogs.
“The goal of this is to move the vigilance of animal cancer from the doctor’s office to the families that own the animals,” Dervisis said. “It can help us detect cancer earlier, and the earlier you detect cancer, theoretically, you have more chance of providing appropriate care.”
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