Estimating canine cancer incidence: findings from a population-based tumour registry in northwestern Italy

Abstract

BackgroundCanine cancer registry data can be put to good use in epidemiological studies. Quantitative comparison of tumour types may reveal unusual cancer frequencies, providing directions for research and generation of hypotheses of cancer causation in a specific area, and suggest leads for identifying risk factors. Here we report canine cancer incidence rates calculated from a population-based registry in an area without any known specific environmental hazard.ResultsIn its 90 months of operation from 2001 to 2008 (the observation period in this study), the population-based Piedmont Canine Cancer Registry collected data on 1175 tumours confirmed by histopathological diagnosis. The incidence rate was 804 per 100,000 dog-years for malignant tumours and 897 per 100,000 dog-years for benign tumours. Higher rates for all cancers were observed in purebred dogs, particularly in Yorkshire terrier and Boxer. The most prevalent malignant neoplasms were cutaneous mastocytoma and hemangiopericytoma, and mammary gland complex carcinoma and simplex carcinoma.ConclusionsThe Piedmont canine cancer registry is one of few of its kind whose operations have been consistently supported by long-term public funding. The registry-based cancer incidence rates were estimated with particular attention to the validity of data collection, thus minimizing the potential for bias. The findings on cancer incidence rates may provide a reliable reference for comparison studies. Researches conducted on dogs, used as sentinels for community exposure to environmental carcinogens, can be useful to detect excess risks in the incidence of malignant tumours in the human population.

Oncolytic Viruses for Canine Cancer Treatment

“…Canine cancer is an increasing cause of death worldwide, principally in adult dogs, with an annual incidence rate of malignant tumors of about eight cases per 1000 dogs [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Among the most common types of cancers are lymphomas [ 8 ], hemangiosarcomas [ 12 ], mast cell tumors [ 13 ], melanomas [ 14 ], osteosarcomas [ 15 ], and mammary gland tumors [ 16 ]. After the introduction of chemotherapy for dogs in 1946 [ 17 ], different types of cancers became treatable with some prolonged clinical remissions using multidrug protocols [ 18 ].…”

Epigenetic Mechanisms in Canine Cancer

“…Some studies have registered skin tumors frequencies as high as 40 or 50% (17,18). However, depending on the proportion between females and males, mammary tumors have been observed around in about 36% of total cases (19), since mammary tumors account for more than 50% of the diagnosed tumors in females (20)(21)(22)(23). Other common types of cancer in dogs are located in the soft tissues (14), hematopoietic, and lymphoid tissues (18), digestive organs (19), and bones (24).…”

Statistics of Canine Skin Tumors in Korea during 2005-2018

“…Skin tumor is one of the most common type of tumor found in canine species, because there are variety of tumors which occur at this location (Dobson et al, 2002;Baioni et al, 2017). As skin tumors are relatively easily detected by owners and are comparatively simple to biopsy and excise surgically (Goldschmidt and Goldschmidt, 2017), skin samples account for the highest proportion of samples submitted to our small animal tumor diagnostic center.…”