Do you have any more information about the research please Xensgirl?
I'd like to post about on a couple of Cocker Facebook groups that I belong to, to raise awareness of the disease, but it would be useful to be able to post a link about the research and the hereditary problem. Until I read your post I had no idea that it can be hereditary.
I hope Blue does well 
I'll type out the information I have....and I am so pleased you are also making people aware of this devastating disease too. Unfortunately, many Cocker Spaniel owners don't even know its hereditary. If we can get people to have their dogs anal glands checked regularly then more dogs will be saved. The sooner its diagnosed the more chance of survival. Also when this DNA test is available, though it could well be quite a while.... hopefully breeders will have their dogs tested before mating them. Unfortunately as we both know, only responsible breeders will do it...but even that will make a difference.
I made a mistake...Its the University of Cambridge, not Bristol. (so much going on in my head at the moment I'm afraid). I'm typing out the letter I received from Dick White Referrals Specialist Veterinary Centre at Newmarket where Blue had his surgery, and I gave my permission, of course, for a sample of Blue's blood to be part of the study. I have a name and email address for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine who's name is on the letter....I don't think I had better put it on here though. So if you want it I will PM you with it ok.
Thank you also for asking about Blue. Almost 8 weeks post surgery, he is doing well, happy and back to usual laid back, loving self. However, he is having a few problems passing stools, it appears to be neurological...the signals are not quite getting through properly. A lot of dogs end up incontinent after this surgery...and it is a huge surgery. Blue was cut down from his anal glands, right under his stomach to the end of his penis. He developed an abscess on the wound on his stomach and was really quite ill after the surgery too. I'm taking him to Dick White Referrals in the next couple of weeks so the can do an ultrasound and check the bowel thing is just nerve damage and nothing else. I will be taking him for 3 monthly ultrasounds so they can keep a check the cancer hasn't returned....but I know it will come back at some stage...this cancer usually does. I just hope its not for a long time yet. I am so very bonded with Blue, we all have that 'one' or if we are lucky two dogs in our lifetime who are so very special, and Blue is it for me.
I decided against Chemo, Blue has other health problems also and I know his system wouldn't cope with it. So I've contacted a Hollistic Vet and we are doing his aftercare the natural way instead. She has some very good results with dogs affected with this cancer.
Please do let me know what response you get from the other groups won't you.
Very pleased you are spreading the word!! Julie and Blue (and his mum Rio) xx
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Department of Veterinary Medicine
Anal sac apocrine gland carcinoma in English Cocker Spaniels and other Spaniel breeds.
English Cocker Spaniels suffer anal sac gland carcinoma with very high frequency (relative risk of +7) when compared with the whole dog population (Polton et al., 2006). Other Spaniel breeds also show a predisposition to this tumour, although at a less elevated level.
We have performed immunochemical studies of anal sac gland carcinomas with E-cadherin to develop methods for prognostic assessment, showing an association of E-cadherin staining of the tumour with enchanced survival (Polton et al., 2005). The high level of breed specificity of this tumour implies a genetic element in predisposition to it.
We are now collecting samples for study using high density genetic mapping techniques to compare anal sac carcinoma affected and normal animals. This will allow us to recognise chromosome regions, and eventually genes, associated with the predisposition of this tumour. We hope to throw light on the biology of this adenocarcinoma and may also be able to develop DNA profiling tests that will allow Vets to provide breeding advice leading to the reduction of the frequency of this tumour in English Cocker Spaniels and perhaps other breeds also.
We are looking to collect blood samples from anal sac gland carcinoma affected English Cocker Spaniels and affected dogs of other Spaniel breeds.
