Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are malignant and benign tumors in companion dogs
By Schwartz, Stephen M et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2022·Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lifetime prevalence of malignant and benign tumours in companion dogs: Cross-sectional analysis of Dog Aging Project baseline survey.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of over 27,000 dogs found that nearly 30 out of every 1,000 dogs develop malignant tumors, while about 15 out of 1,000 have benign tumors. Most of these tumors occur in the skin, muscle, or soft tissue, and the likelihood of developing either type of tumor increases as dogs age. Larger dogs are more likely to have malignant tumors compared to smaller breeds. This information can help pet owners understand the risks of tumors in their dogs and the importance of regular veterinary check-ups for early detection.
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Abstract
Although cancer is widely regarded as a major contributor to canine morbidity and mortality, its frequency in companion dogs has only infrequently been characterised. We analysed cross-sectional data from the baseline survey of owners of 27 541 living companion dogs enrolled in the Dog Aging Project as of 31 December 2020 to estimate the lifetime prevalence of malignant and benign tumours and several potentially-associated characteristics. Survey questions elicited information on history of 'cancer or tumors' including organ site and histologic type. Owners reported 819 malignant tumours (56% sited in the skin, muscle or other soft tissue) and 404 benign tumours (69% sited in the skin, muscle or other soft tissue). The lifetime prevalence of malignant tumours (29.7/1000 dogs) was approximately double the lifetime prevalence of benign tumours (14.7/1000 dogs). Lifetime prevalence of both malignant and benign tumours increased with dog age at survey completion. There were no statistically discernable differences in age-adjusted lifetime prevalence of malignant (prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.93 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82, 1.07] or benign tumours (PR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.91, 1.34) in mixed vs. purebred dogs. The lifetime prevalence of malignant tumours increased with increasing dog size class; compared to toy and small dogs, the age-adjusted PRs (95% CIs) for medium, standard, large, and giant dogs were 1.65 (1.28, 2.11), 2.92 (2.35, 3.64), 3.67 (2.92, 4.62) and 2.99 (1.23, 4.02), respectively. Similar though less pronounced patterns in relation to dog size class were observed for benign tumours. Ongoing prospective data collection will permit future studies on risk factors for canine tumour incidence.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35574975/