Welcome to the Comparative Oral Oncology Laboratory! We are a group of researchers dedicated to advancing health for both humans and companion animals, with a focus on oral tumor biology and treatment. We are firm believers in bringing the most advanced scientific approaches to bear to tackle oral oncology head-on, and are deeply dedicated to multi-disciplinary collaborative science as a necessary and productive means to further our knowledge, and develop new cures for cancer. The core leadership and affiliate members of COOL come from four different departments/units in the College of Veterinary Medicine, including the Departments of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Clinical Sciences, and Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, as well as the Baker Institute of Animal Health.
Patient testimonial: Recently I had to take my cat, Cheeto, to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals as an emergency visit for weight loss, vomiting, and not acting right. He was hospitalized and transferred to the internal medicine service. His doctor found a mass in his mouth, and we consulted Dr. Santiago Peralta. Dr. Peralta was able to arrange for Cheeto to have a full work-up of his mass that same day, and enrolled him in a study he’s doing to try to identify new treatments for oral squamous cell carcinoma in cats. Our hope is the samples of his mass and normal tissue will help us find a drug that will work on this cancer. While Cheeto wasn’t able to directly benefit from this study, the professionalism and kindness of the entire dentistry and oral surgery service, especially Dr. Peralta, and the knowledge that my cat’s devastating diagnosis might be able to help future cats is so appreciated. While I wish with all of my heart we’d had a different diagnosis, I am grateful that the COOL exists and that I might be able to help future cat owners have better options than what currently exist.
