Cancer in dogs

June 28, 2024 / susanbulanda / Leave a comment

This article is loaded with a lot of important information, therefore I suggest that my readers click on the link and read the whole article.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have found that medium sized dogs have a higher risk of getting cancer than very large or small breeds of dogs. For example, the smallest dogs, including Pomeranians, Miniature Pinschers, Shih Tzus and Chihuahuas have about a 10% chance of dying from cancer.

On the other hand, large dogs, such as Burmese Mountain dogs, have more than a 40% chance of death from cancer. Yet the largest breeds such as the Great Dane have a less chance of getting cancer.

The article points out that scientists do not understand why the life expectancy of dogs decreases with size. “For every pound increase in typical breed size you lose about two weeks of life.”

What is interesting, is that this article points out that the ratio of cancer to size only applies to the same species, in this case dogs. The same correlation does not apply to size difference between other species.

Journal Reference:

Leonard Nunney. The effect of body size and inbreeding on cancer mortality in breeds of the domestic dog: a test of the multi-stage model of carcinogenesis. Royal Society Open Science, 2024; 11 (1) DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231356

Cite This Page:

University of California – Riverside. “Study reveals cancer vulnerabilities in popular dog breeds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 April 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240429103104.htm>.

Male dogs more likely to develop Transmissible Venereal Tumors

July 12, 2022 / susanbulanda / Leave a comment

Researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine discovered that male dogs, especially free roaming dogs, were four to five times likely to develop the Oro-nasal form of Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumors (CTVT) than female dogs.

CTVT is an unusual cancer that can spread between dogs that come in contact. This type of cancer is infectious because the living cancer cells can be physically transplanted from one animal to another. The researchers feel that the reason it is more prevalent in male dogs is because they spend more time sniffing and licking female dog genitalia.

The common symptoms are difficulty breathing, nasal deformation or bloody or other discharge from the nose and/or mouth. Fortunately, this type of cancer is treatable with Vincristine chemotherapy.

The researchers noted that transmissible cancers are found in Tasmanian Devils as well as marine bivalves such as mussels and clams.

Cancer in Flat-coated Retrievers

May 14, 2021 / susanbulanda / Leave a comment

Jacquelyn Evans and Elaine Ostrander, researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute have identified two regions of the canine genome that cause 1/3 of the risk of hematological cancer in Flat-Coated Retrievers.

While this type of cancer is rare in humans, it does affect one-in-five Flat-coated Retrievers. This research overlaps with two loci that have been associated with other blood cancers in Golden Retrievers.

As is often the case, the results of this study may allow researchers to identify candidate genes that will help develop new diagnostics and therapeutics for humans as well as dogs.

Hemangiosarcoma cancer linked to Bartonella bacteria

September 25, 2020 / susanbulanda / Leave a comment

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that dogs who have hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels have high levels of Bartonella bacteria. This leads researchers to believe that there is a connection between persistent infection and/or inflammation and some types of cancer.

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an aggressive, deadly cancer that comes from cells lining the blood vessels. It is responsible for two-thirds of all heart or splenic tumors in dogs, and is most common in medium-sized and middle-aged dogs.

What makes this difficult is that the bacteria are found in tumors and tissues but not detectable in blood samples. This indicates that Bartonella can survive undetected within tissue.

I have personally lost two dogs to cancer of the spleen. I hope that the researchers can develop a simple test to detect hemangiosarcoma and the Bartonella bacteria.

Jib, SAR dog who died from cancer of the spleen

Cancerous tumors in dogs

September 22, 2020 / susanbulanda / Leave a comment

A study conducted by Oregon State’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences by Katy Townsend, an assistant professor in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine; and Joanne Tuohy of Colorado State University showed that if a cancerous tumor in dogs is completely removed, the risk of the cancer coming back is reduced by 60%.

The researchers found that to reduce the reoccurrence of cancer the tumors must be removed with microscopic margins to be sure that all of the cancer cells are removed.

The importance of this study shows that veterinarians need to adopt standard research guidelines to improve treatment of cancer in animals. This way information can be more useful.

Breast Cancer in Dogs

June 27, 2019 / susanbulanda / 2 Comments

Mammary tumors in dogs can manifest itself the same way as it does in humans. According to Karin Sorenmo, a veterinary oncologist at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, Mammary gland carcinomas are the most common in intact dogs. Yet veterinarians have not had a reliable way to determine which dogs are fine with surgical treatment only, which dogs might need chemotherapy or hormonal treatment.

Dr. Sorenmo has developed a new “bio-scoring” system that gives veterinarians a more reliable prognosticating method. The work has been published in the journal Veterinary and Comparative Oncology.

The beauty of this system is that it is easy for veterinarians to use, taking much of the guess work out of evaluating dogs with breast cancer. This method was developed by a team of veterinarians, coauthors were Amy C. Durham, Michael C. Goldschmidt, and Darko Stefanovski of Penn Vet; Veronica Kristiansen of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences; and Laura Pena of Complutense University of Madrid.

beagle pups

Sexually Transmitted Disease in Dogs

January 28, 2019January 28, 2019 / susanbulanda / Leave a comment

The canine transmissible venereal tumor is spread in dogs worldwide through breeding as well as biting and licking the infected area. Professor Ariberto Fassati of UCL (University College London) has discovered that the disease is related to a single common ancestor, making it the same in all dogs. Professor Fassati also discovered that the dog’s immune system can cause the cancer to regress spontaneously or within a few weeks after only one radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment.

Professor Fassati found that the healthy cells around the tumor were vital in causing the regression of the cancer. What is very exciting about this finding is that canine transmissible venereal tumor is very similar to various human cancers such skin cancer, bone cancer, and certain blood cancers. His research may lead the way to better treatments for humans.

“There are two key messages of our study,” Fassati says. “First, we should not focus on the cancer cells only but also understand the importance of normal tissue around the cancer in promoting rejection. Second, we must be able to induce the production of large amounts of certain chemokines to attract loads of immune cells to the tumor site.” His research may lead the way to better treatments for humans.

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Bladder cancer in dogs

December 14, 2017 / susanbulanda / 4 Comments

Although it is rare, bladder cancer in dogs is on the rise. Fortunately, there is a new test, the CADET℠ BRAF to help veterinarians determine if your dog has bladder cancer.

Parsons Russell Terrier

There are two types of bladder cancer, transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and urothelial carcinoma (UC). The tumors start in the urinary tract, but can travel to the rest of the body including bones, liver, kidney, spleen, and skin.

Warning signs of bladder cancer can often be misdiagnosed as a lower urinary tract disease, such as stones and infections. The most common signs are when a dog urinates small amounts often, difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, and accidents in the house, frequent urinary tract infections that do not respond to treatment.

Certain breeds are more likely to get bladder cancer, and usually from the age of six years and older.

High risk breeds: Scottish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Beagle, Shetland Sheepdog, Wire Fox Terrier, American Eskimo Dog, Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Bichon Frise, Border Collie, Russell Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Rat Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier, Parsons Russell Terrier.

Interestingly, veterinarians have found a link between feeding a dog safe fresh vegetables three times a week to a reduced risk of bladder cancer. On the other hand, exposure to herbicides and pesticides increased the risk of cancer.

The good news is that the CADET℠ BRAF test can catch the cancer in its earliest stages, even before symptoms start to show, and it can help veterinarians determine the extent of the disease.

Some veterinarians suggest that all high-risk breeds get tested from ages 8 years and older. It is a good idea to discuss this possibility with your veterinarian or go to SentinelBiomedical.com for more information.

New hope for dogs that suffer from previously untreatable cancers

September 5, 2017 / susanbulanda / 2 Comments

As dogs live longer, more of them suffer from cancer. Some of the cancers are untreatable with conventional therapies. One such cancer is oral malignant melanoma (OMM) and undifferentiated sarcoma which is a soft tissue cancer. Professor Satoru Konnai of Hokkaido University and his team in Japan have developed an antibody that causes immune responses in dogs that reduces the malignant tumors. They studied dogs with both types of cancer and had success in treating them. Since the untreatable cancers in dogs are similar to those in humans, there is hope that with further studies, this new treatment will help people with untreatable cancers.

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