Tumour reconstruction in dogs leads the way for next generation treatment for humans

Dr Michelle Oblak, assistant co-director of the University of Guelph’s Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation, is working with the university’s rapid prototyping of patient-specific implants for dogs working group to examine dogs as a disease model for cancer in humans, specifically studying the use of rapid prototyping for advance planning of surgeries and 3D printed implants for reconstruction.
Together with Dr Galina Hayes at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York, Oblak performed the procedure on a dog with a multilobular osteochondrosarcoma tumour so big it was growing into its skull. The team, together with an engineer from Sheridan College’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Design and Technologies, mapped the tumour’s location and size and created a 3D model of the dog’s head and tumour in order to “virtually” perform the surgery and see what would be left behind once the growth was removed. Working with ADEISS, a 3D medical printing company in London, Ontario, they adapted software designed for human medicine to create a skull plate for the dog. In terms of future surgical application in humans, this technique will eliminate the need to model an implant in the operating room and reduce patient risk by shortening the time spent under anaesthesia.
Dr Oblak said: “The technology has grown so quickly, and to be able to offer this incredible, customised, state-of-the-art plate in one of our canine patients was really amazing. I was able to do the surgery before I even walked into the operating room. This is major for tumour reconstruction in many places on the head, limb prosthesis, developmental deformities after fractures and other traumas. In human medicine, there is a lag in use of the available technology while regulations catch up. By performing these procedures in our animal patients, we can provide valuable information that can be used to show the value and safety of these implants for humans. These implants are the next big leap in personalised medicine that allows for every element of an individual’s medical care to be specifically tailored to their particular needs.”