Cancer stinks for animals and people
CSU veterinarian Stephen Withrow has been a volunteer counselor at Sky High Hope Camp for over two decades.
August 26, 2008
Veterinarian's time with kids fuels his cancer research
What inspires a world-class researcher to toil away in the lab day after day? For Colorado State's Stephen Withrow, it's his annual trip, as a volunteer counselor, to a camp for kids with cancer. Sound grim? In fact, this yearly ritual is inspiring, motivating, and a lot of the time, downright fun.
Kids benefit along with animals
Colorado State's Animal Cancer Center, the largest center of its kind in the world, is devoted to caring for animals with cancer and researching treatments and cures. As the center's director, veterinarian Stephen Withrow leads clinical trials that help dogs, cats, and other companion animals while also advancing human cancer medical interventions.
Sky High Hope Camp west of Fort Collins
To get re-energized and inspired each summer, Withrow, who is also the chief scientific officer of the university's Cancer Supercluster and a University Distinguished Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, leaves his academic surroundings and animal patients for a short journey to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver Sky High Hope Camp in the Rocky Mountains 20 miles west of Fort Collins.
Campers recharge scientist
In addition to a career dedicated to the study of pet cancers, especially bone cancer in dogs, Withrow finds special meaning being with children and their siblings who are bravely fighting leukemia, brain tumors, and bone cancer.
"My week with these kids recharges by batteries," Withrow said. "We try to put some levity into their lives and provide their families with a week away from the stresses and strains of intense caregiving. It's therapeutic for everyone, and parents are quite appreciative."
10,000 new cases of canine bone cancer each year
Bone cancer in humans is rare - only about 1,000 new cases annually. However, about 10,000 new cases of bone cancer in canines are diagnosed every year, Withrow explains.
"Pursuing clinical treatments in companion animals that diminishes the side effects of treatments or leads to a cure is motivated not only by my love and concern for animals, but in knowing that many clinical trials that help companion animals are answering questions that may lead to human cancer breakthroughs."
Until there's a cure - there's camp
So what do a bunch of highly trained professionals do for a week in the scenic Rocky Mountains with kids 8 to 17 years old who have cancer?
Well, Withrow is in charge of the "Greenwood Men." How does he round up his crew? At the sound of a duck call, his 8- to 9-year-old boys, along with all the former Greenwood Men on site, come running, stand in formation, and salute. No, it's not that they are fearful of this highly successful veterinarian. It's part of the fun of having this gentle giant of a man in their lives for a fun-packed, liberating, hospital-free week.
And what's one of the highlights of camp to signify you are a Greenwood Man? The longstanding tradition is to dye your hair CSU green. To surprise his charges this year, Withrow went neon pink for an added twist.
Humble researcher aware of urgency
Talking to Withrow, it's easy to forget he is an internationally esteemed scientist on the cutting edge of developing effective treatments and products in the fight against cancer. But it's comforting to know he is keenly aware of the urgency in developing, for example, limb-sparing surgical techniques to treat otsteosarcoma in dogs that can be adapted to treat human cancer and significantly increase the likelihood that children diagnosed with the disease will be cured.
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Read the full story and view more photos by visiting http://www.colostate.edu/features/cancer-camp-withrow.aspx.
Contact: Jayleen Heft
Email: Jayleen.Heft@colostate.edu
Phone Number: (970) 491-2655
