Tumor ablation clinical trials for dogs and cats
Tumor ablation destroys tissue locally using focused ultrasound, mechanical energy, freezing, heat or another physical method. Current listings include HIFU, histotripsy, cryotherapy, microwave and radiofrequency approaches.
10current studies and treatment programs in this category
These are local treatments. Their usefulness depends on the tumor’s size, location and accessibility, and they do not automatically address cancer elsewhere in the body.
Current listings
One study may appear under more than one treatment type when it combines approaches. Review the full eligibility criteria and confirm current enrollment with the study team.
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for canine urothelial carcinoma
CHV AniCura Armonia · France
Current clinical study listed by CHV AniCura Armonia
What is being offered: Official current-studies page describes HIFU for dogs with urothelial carcinoma when standard chemotherapy/surgery cannot be given or has not worked. Oncowaf separately lists cytologic/histologic confirmation and anesthesia fitness; detailed eligibility requires study-team prescreening.
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; Standard therapy unavailable
Costs / coverage: Armonia states that all treatment-related costs are covered. Pre-enrollment diagnostics, travel and other expenses are not specified; confirm these with the study team.
Contact: Gabriel Chamel — gabriel.chamel@anicura.fr
Location
- CHV AniCura Armonia, 500 rue le Chatelier, 38090 Vaulx-Milieu, France
Official study / enrollment information →
MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for canine limb osteosarcoma
Ontario Veterinary College / Hospital for Sick Children · Canada
Actively recruiting — listed on current OVC canine oncology trials page
What is being offered: Pilot treatment study for confirmed osteosarcoma of the distal radius with no evidence of metastasis. No previous surgery or radiation for the osteosarcoma. Prior chemotherapy and/or bisphosphonate treatment is evaluated case-by-case. Requires visits to SickKids in Toronto and OVC in Guelph.
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; No metastasis; Appendicular location; Distal radius osa
May not qualify if: Prior local radiation; Prior target tumor surgery
Costs / coverage: 🟡 Partially funded. The study covers MRI(s), HIFU treatment, associated anesthesia, study biopsies and analyses.
Contact: OVC Clinical Trials — ovc.clinicaltrials@uoguelph.ca; official study contact form
Official study / enrollment information →
Histotripsy for canine thyroid tumors
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine / Virginia Tech · USA
Recruiting — listed on Virginia Tech current studies page
What is being offered: Dogs must have a thyroid tumor whose owners have elected surgical removal, and must be stable enough for general anesthesia. Non-resectable tumors and other life-threatening disease are excluded. Eligible dogs receive one histotripsy treatment followed by surgical resection the next day.
Who may qualify: Active tumor required; Thyroid tumor; Planned surgery
May not qualify if: Unresectable tumor; Anesthesia contraindicated; Other life threatening disease
Costs / coverage: 🟡 Partially funded — the study covers the pre-planning MRI and one histotripsy treatment and provides a $3,000 credit toward thyroid-tumor resection at Virginia Tech; standard surgical workup and remaining care are not stated as covered.
Contact: Robyn Fox, LVT, Clinical Trials Coordinator — robynfox@vt.edu
Location
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 245 Duck Pond Dr, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Official study / enrollment information →
Intratumoral vs IV Carboplatin with or without HIFU for Canine Melanoma
UT Southwestern Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic · USA
Current
What is being offered: Intratumoral nanoparticle/microparticle carboplatin versus IV carboplatin with or without HIFU
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; Planned chemo
May not qualify if: Prior chemo; Severe systemic disease
Costs / coverage: ⚪ Owner-paid. The protocol brochure states that owners fully pay for the study, although possible subsidies may be available.
Contact: Paige Neumann, Research Study Coordinator — 214-645-6221; VROC@UTSouthwestern.edu
Location
- Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic, 5801 Forest Park Rd, Dallas, TX 75235
Official study / enrollment information →
Cryotherapy or intratumoral immunotherapy before amputation for canine osteosarcoma
Johns Hopkins Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy (CIGAT) · USA
Open and recruiting — listed on the current Johns Hopkins CIGAT clinical-trials page
What is being offered: Treatment trial for histopathologically confirmed canine osteosarcoma. Eligible dogs receive PET-CT and either cryotherapy or two doses of tumor-injected immunotherapy before required amputation at about two weeks, followed by chemotherapy. Johns Hopkins lists no prior osteosarcoma treatment or chemotherapy for other cancers and requires the dog to be systemically healthy apart from osteosarcoma.
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; Planned amputation and chemo
May not qualify if: Prior chemo; Prior osteosarcoma treatment
Costs / coverage: 🟡 Partially funded. Study covers PET-CT/CT imaging, cryotherapy or intratumoral immunotherapy, study-related medications and follow-up imaging/blood tests; required amputation and chemotherapy are owner-paid.
Contact: Johns Hopkins CIGAT — 410-502-7325; contact through the official clinical-trials page
Location
- Johns Hopkins CIGAT, 600 N Wolfe St, Park 311, Baltimore, MD 21287
Official study / enrollment information →
Kubanda veterinary cryotherapy for canine mammary cancer
Johns Hopkins Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy (CIGAT) / Kubanda Cryotherapy · USA
Now recruiting — Phase IB trial listed on the current Johns Hopkins CIGAT clinical-trials page
What is being offered: Current institution master states recruitment for Phase IB Kubanda mammary cryotherapy. Individual official flyer requires histopathologic mammary cancer, no prior treatment of the lump or chemotherapy for other cancers, and systemic fitness. Cryotherapy is followed a few weeks later by surgical mass removal. Other investigational treatment, concurrent study enrollment and life-threatening medical/immunosuppressive illnesses exclude entry. Detailed team screening remains required.
Who may qualify: Active tumor required; Confirmed cancer diagnosis required
May not qualify if: Prior chemo
Costs / coverage: 🟡 Partially funded. Owners pay for diagnosis and staging; the primary study flyer states that cryotherapy and subsequent mass removal are fully funded, with follow-up assessments at no owner cost. Unrelated care and travel coverage are not stated.
Contact: Kubanda Cryotherapy / Johns Hopkins CIGAT — contact through the official clinical-trials page
Location
- Johns Hopkins CIGAT, 600 N Wolfe St, Park 311, Baltimore, MD 21287
Official study / enrollment information →
HIFU tumor ablation followed by CHOP for canine multicentric lymphoma
Purdue University Veterinary Hospital — Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center · USA
Currently enrolling
What is being offered: Partial HIFU ablation of one lymph node followed by standard UW-25 CHOP chemotherapy
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; Min age years: 1; Untreated newly diagnosed; Intermediate or large cell multicentric lymphoma; Planned chop; Min weight kg exclusive: 8
May not qualify if: Small cell lymphoma; Stage v lymphoma; Extranodal lymphoma; Recent chemotherapy 3w; Recent steroids 2w; Significant liver or kidney dysfunction; Relapsed lymphoma
Costs / coverage: 🟡 Partially funded — HIFU, sedation/anesthesia, study biopsies and laboratory work are covered; the study provides a $2,000 CHOP credit and up to $2,000 additional support for HIFU-related adverse effects or CHOP. Initial diagnostics and unrelated care remain owner-paid.
Contact: Purdue Tumor Ablation Lab — TumorAblation@purdue.edu; referral required through Purdue Veterinary Hospital
Location
- Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, 625 Harrison St, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Official study / enrollment information →
H-FIRE tumor ablation before surgery for canine liver cancer
Purdue University Veterinary Hospital — Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center · USA
Currently enrolling
What is being offered: High-frequency irreversible electroporation (H-FIRE) followed 5–7 days later by surgical liver-tumor resection
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; Liver tumor; Resectable; Planned surgical resection; Anesthesia candidate
May not qualify if: Coagulation disorder; Severe systemic illness; Owner declines post hfire surgery
Costs / coverage: 🟡 Partially funded — H-FIRE, post-treatment CT and study rechecks are covered, with a $2,000 credit toward surgical resection. Owners pay remaining surgery costs, complications unrelated to H-FIRE and unrelated care.
Contact: Purdue Tumor Ablation Lab — TumorAblation@purdue.edu; Purdue Veterinary Hospital Referrals — 765-494-1107
Location
- Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, 625 Harrison St, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Official study / enrollment information →
HIFU tumor ablation before amputation and carboplatin for canine osteosarcoma
Purdue University Veterinary Hospital — Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center · USA
Currently enrolling
What is being offered: Partial HIFU ablation followed by limb amputation and adjuvant carboplatin chemotherapy
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; Min age years: 1; Appendicular osteosarcoma; No metastasis; Suitable hifu acoustic window; Planned amputation; Planned carboplatin; Min weight kg exclusive: 8
May not qualify if: Metastatic; Recent chemotherapy 3w; Recent steroids 2w; Poor performance status
Costs / coverage: 🟡 Partially funded — HIFU and functional imaging are covered, up to $2,600 is provided toward amputation, and chemotherapy recheck visits are covered. Owners pay initial staging, remaining surgery costs, carboplatin administration and surgery-related complications.
Contact: Purdue Tumor Ablation Lab — TumorAblation@purdue.edu; Purdue Veterinary Hospital Referrals — 765-494-1107
Location
- Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, 625 Harrison St, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Official study / enrollment information →
HIFU followed by doxorubicin for canine nodal lymphoma
VCA Dallas Animal Specialty Hospital · USA
Currently enrolling
What is being offered: HIFU treatment of a targeted lymph node followed from day 8 by five doxorubicin chemotherapy treatments
Who may qualify: Confirmed cancer diagnosis required; Active tumor required; Planned doxorubicin; Prescapular or popliteal nodal lymphoma
Costs / coverage: Study-related medical imaging, bloodwork, HIFU treatment and five doxorubicin chemotherapy treatments are sponsor-covered. Coverage of initial outside diagnostics, travel and unrelated care is not stated.
Contact: VCA Dallas Animal Specialty Hospital: 972-267-8300. Investigators listed on the official protocol: Zachary Wright and Rachel Kovac. Apply through the official StudyPages protocol page.
Location
- VCA Dallas Animal Specialty Hospital, 17727 Dallas Parkway, Suite 150, Dallas, TX 75287, Dallas, TX 75287
Official study / enrollment information →
