Trial opening · September 17, 2026
Cornell opens Smart-Start trial for dogs with B-cell lymphoma
Cornell University Hospital for Animals has opened enrollment in a new treatment study for dogs with B-cell lymphoma. Smart-Start is not a sample-collection or observational study. Every enrolled dog receives an anticancer pre-treatment selected according to the biology of that dog’s tumor, followed by standard CHOP chemotherapy.
The pre-treatment is either an oral drug given four times over a 14-day period or an injectable drug given at Cornell on five consecutive days. There is no placebo. After the pre-treatment period, dogs return for routine CHOP chemotherapy visits.
Who may qualify
The study is for dogs diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma that are seen by Cornell’s oncology service in Ithaca, New York. Dogs must not have received previous lymphoma treatment other than prednisolone, and owners must be willing to proceed with standard-of-care CHOP chemotherapy.
What the study covers
Tests and procedures performed specifically for the study are covered. Owners remain responsible for ordinary clinical care, but Cornell provides a 10% discount on standard-of-care chemotherapy visits and an additional $1,000 toward chemotherapy costs.
Owners can contact Cornell Oncology or the Clinical Trials Coordinator at 607-253-3060 or vet-research@cornell.edu.
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