We need your financial support
for this project! Click here to make a secure, online donation
right now!
 EARLY DETECTION OF OVARIAN CANCER
DOG TRAIING PROGRESS
Is
there meaningful information contained within the breath? Could this
information lead to the early detection of ovarian cancer? We have recently
launched a new study that seeks
to answer these questions through the use of one of the most sensitive
and sophisticated scent detection devices on the planet: a dog’s
nose. Our lead trainer, Kathy O’Brian,
working with trainers Martha Hoffman and Rebecca Hornick, has now qualified
a final team of five dogs to carry out the study. To qualify, the dogs
had to correctly indicate where an ovarian cancer breath sample was placed
among five breath sample stations 30 consecutive times. We’re please
to announce the following team of amazing dogs who will participate in
this ground breaking research project:
FREEMAN
Freeman is a five-year-old black Labrador who
lives in Mill Valley with Paul and Georgianne Meade. The Meades got Freeman
as a retired stud (meaning he was the father of puppies trained to be
successful guide dogs) from Guide Dogs for the Blind (San Rafael, California).
Freeman was the first dog to qualify for our research project and is
smart, eager to please, and loves to cuddle. His favorite trick (when
he has permission) is putting his front paws on your shoulders when
you are sitting in a chair for a big hug.
TESSY
Tessy is a one-eyed, three-year-old yellow Labrador retriever who lives
with Paolo Pompanin and his family. Tessy was born at Guide Dogs for
the Blind where Paolo works. Paolo’s children
fell in love with the cuddly and contagiously enthusiastic Tessy and
adopted her immediately. Although she has limited sight, Tessy goes powder
skiing with Paolo in Lake Tahoe. The first time, it was thought she’d
only last for a half an hour or so, but Tessy beat Paolo to the top and
had a blast staying afloat in the fresh powder all the way down.
TIBBS
Tibbs is a two-year-old black Labrador who lives in Berkeley with
Becke Broadbent. Tibbs went through Guide Dogs’ rigorous training
program and almost graduated to be placed as a service dog. Tibbs is
always calm, gentle, caring, thoughtful, and very attentive to people.
His outstanding manners have allowed Tibbs to accompany Becke almost
anywhere, including to a performance at the San Francisco Conservatory
of Music. He also loves fishing with his other parent in Buffalo, Wyoming,
where he’ll
sit patiently staring at the line in the water, but will bark when he
feels it’s been
too long between bites.
COLLINS
Collins is a three-year-old Labrador-golden retriever who lives
in San Ramon with Becky Ordin and her family. A minor medical problem
led to his “career change” from becoming
a guide dog and Collins met his family through the adoption program at
Guide Dogs for the Blind. Collins’ family calls him “the
seriously perfect dog” who is well-behaved, mellow,
and wonderful with children. Becky’s 15-month-old crawls all over
Collins (and he lays there and loves it) and her three-year old child
loves to walk Collins and give him commands (and he actually listens).
CAPTAIN JENNINGS
Captain Jennings is a two-year-old miniature poodle
who lives in San Rafael with Michael, Michelle, and Gabe McCulloch. Captain
is fun loving, mischievous, gentle, and energetic. He is at times headstrong,
at times submissive, and totally dog. He loves people, even those he
doesn’t know. His most unique characteristic
is his howl, which Gabe describes as “primordial
or lupine.” Although he likes to have fun (playing fetch by his
rules, not ours) and isn’t always perfect (he has an untreatable
fear of storm drain openings and a liking for socks), Captain is a hard
worker with a great nose, which qualified him to be part of the research
team in record time.
LABORATORY PROGRESS
Our University of Maine partner, Dr. Touradj Solouki, has been working
diligently to ready his laboratory for analysis of exhaled breath samples.
At the Pine Street Foundation, we have purchased the following equipment
for gathering breath samples:
» A super low temperature freezer to store exhaled breath samples
along with specialized air purification equipment, which ensures that
no matter where we recruit women and gather their breath samples, they
are all breathing the same background air. This special freezer and air
filter cost $11,045.73.
» Specially designed breath collection tubes called rTubes, which
cool and condense exhaled breath samples. We have purchased five-hundred
of these tubes so far at a cost of $11,103.38.
» A sophisticated system of Teflon valves and tubing that bring
purified air from the air purifiers into the rTube, custom-designed for
our project by Dr. James Walker, professor emeritus, from Florida State
University. This system cost $2,565.
SPONSOR A TUBE
Every breath sample collection tube costs about $23 and we’ll be
needing over a thousand of these specialized devices during this research
project. If you’re interested in “sponsoring a tube,” please
click here.
OTHER FUNDING NEEDED
In our last issue of Avenues, we reported on a variety of project needs.
Thanks to your generous help, we were able to cover the following expenses:
» Research Assistant Salaries: $12,000
» Research Supplies: $575
» Research Equipment: $11,984
We still need help, however, in covering the following major costs:
» Recruitment Coordinator Salaries: $12,000
» Hospital Center Data Coordinators: $30,000
» TOTAL STILL NEEDED: $42,000
If you are interested in helping us fulfill this urgent and important
funding need, please click here.
PATIENT AND CONTROL RECRUITMENT
We will need 30 non-smoking women with biopsy-confirmed ovarian cancer
in the San Francisco Bay Area to breathe through a special tube prior
to beginning treatment. We will also need 30 non-smoking women with endometriosis
or polycystic ovarian syndrome as well as 60 healthy non-smoking controls
who do not have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
To learn more about being a patient or control for our study, please
click here or call our recruitment hotline: (415) 342-0886.
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT
We are still looking for staff support and experienced grant writers.
If you are interested in volunteering your time, services, or expertise,
please click
here.
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