Mast cell tumours and other skin neoplasia in Danish dogs - data from the Danish Veterinary Cancer Registry

Abstract

BackgroundThe Danish Veterinary Cancer Registry (DVCR) was established in May 2005 to gather information about neoplasms in the Danish dog and cat populations. Practitioners from more than 60 clinics throughout Denmark have submitted data on these species. The objectives of the current study were, with a special focus on mast cell tumours (MCT) to investigate the occurrence, gender distribution, biological behaviour, locations, types, the diagnostic method used and treatment of skin neoplasms in dogs based on information reported to the DVCR.MethodsFrom May 15th 2005 through February 29th 2008, reports on a total of 1,768 canine cases of neoplasia in the skin, subcutis or adnexa were submitted.) Of these, 765 cases (43%) were confirmed by cytology or histopathology.ResultsThe majority of dogs had a benign neoplasm (66%) while 21% were cases of malignant neoplasia. The most commonly encountered malignant neoplasms were MCT and soft tissue sarcomas and for benign neoplasms, lipomas and histiocytomas were the most common. The location of the neoplasms were primarily in the cutis, subcutis or in the perianal region. The occurrence, gender distribution, biological behaviour and location of canine skin neoplasias in Denmark were similar to earlier reports, although some national variations occurred. A correlation between grade of MCT and the proportion of cases treated surgically was observed.ConclusionsPopulation based cancer registries like the DVCR are of importance in the collection of non-selected primary information about occurrence and distribution of neoplasms. The DVCR provides detailed information on cases of skin neoplasms in dogs and may serve as a platform for the study of sub-sets of neoplastic diseases (e.g. MCT) or subgroups of the canine population (e.g. a specific breed).

Epidemiological Study of Canine Mast Cell Tumours According to the Histological Malignancy Grade

“…A different distribution is presented in investigations reported by other authors (Grabarević et al 2009, Br(nden et al 2010, Leidinger et al 2014. Examination of dogs from Denmark has revealed the greatest number of MCTs located in the inguinal region (40%) and on extremities (23%) (Brznden et al 2010). In other studies, MCTs were most frequently localized on limbs (Grabarević et al 2009, Leidinger et al 2014).…”

“…Depending on the degree differentiation of MCTs determines not only the diverse morphology and metastatic potential of tumours but also the response to therapy and prognosis (Dobson et al 2002, Murphy et al 2004, Dobson et al 2007, Brznden et al 2010. Furthermore, as reported in the literature, the development and behaviour of MCTs is closely associated with dogs' breed, age, and sex as well as the location of the neoplasm (Dobson et al 2002, White et al 2011, Villamil et al 2011, Warland and Dobson 2013, Zinc et al 2014.…”

Epidemiological and histopathological analysis of 40 apocrine sweat gland carcinomas in dogs: a retrospective study

“…While such obstacles are unavoidable in retrospective studies of this type, they could be prevented in the future if animal cancer registries were established, similar to those that exist in several countries or comparable to those in human oncology. This would undoubtedly help in analysis of epidemiological patterns (4,12,18). Nevertheless, the present report is the first in recent years describing the study on canine malignant apocrine sweat gland tumours providing phenotypical information valuable for both veterinary professionals and researchers conducting comparative studies aiming to identify possible risk factors of the cancer occurrence both in dogs and humans.…”

“…Furthermore, among the ASGCs analysed in the present study, tubular tumours which accounted for 12.5 % of all the analysed ASGCs were also identified, whereas only a single report noted the occurrence of this subtype in a population of 44 ASGCs-affected dogs at 25% (16). Other authors describing this subtype either mentioned its occurrence with no data on its prevalence (4,19) or did not report their occurrence at all, like Kalaher et al (11), who analysed histological features of similar number of canine sweat gland carcinomas.…”

Histomorphological and immunohistochemical characterization of 172 cutaneous round cell tumours in dogs

“…The skin is one of the most common sites of neoplasms and accounts for 9.5% to 51% of all tumours in dogs (Bronden et al 2010). Cutaneous round cell tumours may have a similar morphological appearance, and a diagnosis based only on routine histopathology is often challenging (Fernandez et al 2005).…”