Vet-ICD-O-Canine-1, a System for Coding Canine Neoplasms Based on the Human ICD-O-3.2

Abstract

Cancer registries are fundamental tools for collecting epidemiological cancer data and developing cancer prevention and control strategies. While cancer registration is common in the human medical field, many attempts to develop animal cancer registries have been launched over time, but most have been discontinued. A pivotal aspect of cancer registration is the availability of cancer coding systems, as provided by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O). Within the Global Initiative for Veterinary Cancer Surveillance (GIVCS), established to foster and coordinate animal cancer registration worldwide, a group of veterinary pathologists and epidemiologists developed a comparative coding system for canine neoplasms. Vet-ICD-O-canine-1 is compatible with the human ICD-O-3.2 and is consistent with the currently recognized classification schemes for canine tumors. It comprises 335 topography codes and 534 morphology codes. The same code as in ICD-O-3.2 was used for the majority of canine tumors showing a high level of similarity to their human counterparts (n = 408). De novo codes (n = 152) were created for specific canine tumor entities (n = 126) and topographic sites (n = 26). The Vet-ICD-O-canine-1 coding system represents a user-friendly, easily accessible, and comprehensive resource for developing a canine cancer registration system that will enable studies within the One Health space.

Vet-OncoNet: Malignancy Analysis of Neoplasms in Dogs and Cats

“…Each record represents a tumor which was classified accordingly to the anatomical location (topography) and histological type (morphology) using the Vet-ICD-O-canine-1 classification system [ 23 ], thereafter abbreviated as Vet-ICD-O. Lipomas present in the database were removed from this study.…”

“…Vet-ICD-O classifies the biological behavior of tumors within six possible categories, represented by numbers after the slash: 0 for benign tumors, 1 for tumors where there is uncertainty whether they are benign or malignant, 2 for in situ neoplasms, 3 for malignant, and 6 for the metastatic tumors [ 23 ]. A new dichotomous variable called “Malignancy” was created in the database to classify tumors according to the information sent from pathologists.…”

Cross Species Analysis and Comparison of Tumors in Dogs and Cats, by Age, Sex, Topography and Main Morphologies. Data from Vet-OncoNet

“…Each record was classified accordingly to the anatomical localization (topography) and histological type (morphology) using the Vet-ICD-O-canine-1 classification system [17]. This system, developed by the Global Initiative on Veterinary Cancer Surveillance (GIVCS) in close collaboration with the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) [18], is the canine counterpart of the human classification, ICD-O-3.2 (International Classification of Diseases-Oncology, version 3.2).…”

Animal Sentinels and Cancer Registries: State of the Art and New Perspectives

“…Moreover, cancer in animals shares several traits with its human counterpart such as histological features, genetic alteration, biological behavior and, most importantly, cancer biology (2,3). This concept is the foundation of comparative oncology, an emerging and quickly expanding field of research that has the purpose of studying cancer risk and tumor development across different species and to provide a suitable model for advancing of the understanding, diagnosis, and management of cancer in humans (6,9). Alas, the application of Sentinel Animal Systems in obtaining data about environmental monitoring and human health risk is not free from uncertainties and ambiguity.…”

“…Currently, human cancer registries are regulated by law and their establishment and maintenance have been (and still are) complex and time-consuming (14). In Veterinary Medicine, cancer registries have unfortunately been sporadic, short-lived, and lacked communication and collaboration (9,(14)(15)(16). Therefore, there is little up-to-date information available on the incidence of different types of cancer in companion animals anywhere in the world (9).…”