Dogs ARE Our Best Friends!

This is a transcript from Charles Osgood's show from April 19th.

DOC AND VET TEAM UP TO FIGHT BONE CANCER

In a moment the story of two bone cancer specialists, Dr. Ross Wilkins of the Denver Clinic and Dr. Steven Withrow of the Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. They are friends who learn a lot from each other even though one, Dr. Wilkins, is an MD and the other, Dr. Withrow, is a veterinarian.

"I'll watch Steve do an operation and I'm always thinking, well that's, I don't do that, that's a great idea!" said Dr. Ross Wilkins, The Denver Clinic.

Dr. Ross Wilkins' patients are humans. Dr. Steven Withrow's are dogs and cats. But the disease they both deal with is bone cancer.

"We're attacking a disease that destroys families whether that's dogs or humans," said Dr. Stephen Withrow, Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University.

Every month or so the two meet for breakfast to discuss new treatments and approaches to bone cancer, although there are differences of course. But even that is helpful, says Dr. Wilkins.

"Dogs have this cancer more frequently and it develops more rapidly so we can also investigate the treatment more rapidly and see the effects," said Dr. Wilkins.

It was Dr. Wilkins who first decided to try a treatment on one of his human patients that his friend Dr. Withrow had been using on dogs. CBS News Correspondent Richard Schlesinger asked him.

"Were you comfortable using a veterinary procedure on a human patient?" asked CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT RICHARD SCHLESINGER.

"Major problems require major or valiant solutions," said Dr. Wilkins.

Dr Withrow says his canine patients are living 4 times longer because of what he's learned from Dr. Wilkins. And Dr Wilkins says the survival rate of his human patients has gone from 72% to 92% largely because of what he's learned from his friend the vet.

"How valuable is it? How much have you learned from each other?" asked Schlesinger.

"Well, I think it's huge," said Dr. Wilkins.

"It's a win-win for biology, it's a win-win for mammals," said Dr. Withrow.