Paws and effect: A young vet's canine cancer crusade

MAS Member and vet Dr Siobhan Graham has dedicated her life to caring for our furry friends, and now she’s working on a revolutionary treatment for canine cancer. 

Siobhan Graham has never gone more than 6 months without a pet. Her body is a living storyboard of the animals she has loved; there are tattoos of her childhood cat, 2 dogs and inky interpretations of some favourite Disney animal characters.  

Then there are the paw prints across her abdomen – a reminder of Siobhan’s time spent volunteering during a challenging time in her youth. Suffering ongoing bullying at her Northland high school, Siobhan had opted to learn at home, finding comfort and solace in the handful of hours each week she could spend with rescued, abandoned and unwell animals at her local SPCA.  

“The dogs would jump up in excitement when I arrived, and I’d go home covered in muddy paw prints,” recalls Siobhan, smiling. “It was really special to me. The joy of animals really sticks with you.” 

It’s that delight, and simple, uncomplicated love of our furry, four-legged friends, that has led Siobhan to her life’s work. She’s a vet, but more than that, Dr Siobhan Graham is leading a study that could change how we treat cancer in dogs. 

A game-changing cancer treatment 

Based in Hawke’s Bay, the MAS Member, who grew up in rural Kaipara with guinea pigs, birds, a goat, cows, cats and dogs, is working hard to develop a new immunotherapy treatment that, if effective, will be an affordable and readily available response to hard-to-treat tumours. 

Modelled off a treatment developed for humans, Kv9 is an alternative to current cancer therapies such as chemotherapy, which many dog owners decline due to its high cost, lower quality of life for the animal, and often harsh side effects.  

“Chemotherapy attacks the cancer, and often the body as well,” explains Siobhan, who graduated from Massey University’s competitive veterinary science degree programme in 2017. “Our treatment teaches the dog’s immune system to fight its own cancer. It’s like putting a sign on the cancer saying ‘cancer lives here’, so instead of attacking the tumour with something external, you’re helping the body recognise it and respond.” 

The treatment targets solid tumours and is administered via injection in a standard vet consult; it’s low-stress for the dog, with little to no post-treatment side effects. “It’s easier for the owners, less invasive for the dogs and a lot more practical for vets, too,” says Siobhan. 

Early observations of the Kv9 trial 

Right now, Kv9 is in its first round of clinical trials, so “it’s early-stage, but so far we’re pleased with the results,” she continues. Thirteen dog ‘volunteers’ with soft tissue sarcomas are enrolled in the trial, with the goal of reaching 40 by the end of 2025.  

Recruitment is deliberately slow. “We didn’t want to treat 20 dogs at once, and then have a situation where something unexpected happened. The dogs in our trial have often been through other treatments, with limited success, or the tumours are large and advanced.”  

And that means losing a dog is going to be inevitable. At the time of MAS’s interview, Siobhan – who was 7 when she decided to become a vet – is dealing with the death of her first trial dog. When the animal’s tumour continued progressing despite treatment, the owners made the difficult call to say goodbye.  

“It hit me hard,” Siobhan confides. “Harder than expected. I can’t help but get attached.” 

Although cautious not to overpromise on results, Siobhan shares that the clinical trial is, so far, promising. Some tumours have significantly decreased in size, which wasn’t expected so early in testing. The side effects of the treatment are also reassuringly mild – nothing much more than a bit of an itch at the tumour site, or some minor and temporary discomfort. For dog owners who have been left feeling that they have no choices with treatment, Kv9 offers hope to both them and their beloved pet. 

That said, it’s not easy work. “Some of our dogs are battling really serious, large sarcomas, and patient welfare has to come first. I would hate for an owner to keep a dog alive because they think that’s what we want for the study. The best thing for the trial is never more important than the best thing for the dog.” 

On family life and the future  

Siobhan – who co-founded her company, Kode Veterinary Sciences, with Dr Steve Henry, CEO of Kode Biotech – is currently its sole employee. She spends her days not only focused on the trial, but preparing the company for a capital raise, pencilled in for next year. 

She picks up casual work at the local after-hours vet clinic, too. And there are her pets, of course: “2 cats, Lili and Sprite, a retired farm dog named Lou and an Australian water dragon called Delilah.” 

Siobhan’s husband Blake is a detective, and while they’d love to have some human babies together one day, it’s on pause while Siobhan continues to build the business. She laughs when she calls the Kv9 trial her “first baby”, but the metaphor sticks. “I think most people don’t have a second baby until the first one’s doing alright on its own, and that’s kind of where we’re at,” she says. “Blake might end up being the primary carer down the line so I can keep doing this – it’s something he’s very open to.” And, she continues, he’s backing his wife and her potentially game-changing cancer treatment all the way.  

The road ahead may be bumpy, Siobhan acknowledges. Most treatments don’t make it past trials, which usually comes down to issues with recruiting animal candidates, rather than the treatment itself. A large amount of the work is about connecting with vet clinics all over the country and speaking to them about the trial. But despite the long hours, and sometimes large amounts of travel, visiting homes, changing bandages and building rapport, Siobhan is certain hers is one of the best jobs in the world. 

“I do think it’s pretty cool,” she says, smiling. “When people ask me what I do for work, and I say that I’m developing a cancer treatment for dogs, that seems to get their attention. Often they’ll reply, ‘Oh, you’re curing dog cancer!’ And I'm like, ‘I guess I am!’” 

Could your dog be eligible for the Kv9 trial? 

Kv9 is currently recruiting dogs in Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Auckland to participate in further clinical trials. To discuss eligibility, please contact siobhan@kodevet9.com.