BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Study on cancerous dogs could provide significant data for human cancer research, potentially leading to better treatments and screening for tumors, said the U.S. National Cancer Institute as quoted by media reports Wednesday.

    Approximately one million dogs develop cancer in the United States each year, the institute noted, the treatments to those canine patients can help inform scientists how investigative and experimental therapies work.

    Researchers found that dog owners often turn to treatments which now applied to remedy of human cancerous patients, including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, as a last resort.

    Besides, they also studied cancers in other animals for decades, particularly bone cancer, lymphoma and melanoma.

    Now, the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium encourages the study with a view towards helping people.

    Dogs develop many diseases that are similar to those in humans. In recent years, researchers have paid more attention to the similarities.

    (Agencies)