title: Incidence of mammary tumors in the canine population living in the Veneto region (Northeastern Italy): Risk factors and similarities to human breast cancer.
abstract: Although mammary gland tumors (MT) are the most-common type of tumor in intact female dogs, there is little information about their incidence in dog population. Data on MT in female dogs was retrieved from the Animal Tumor registry of dogs and cats of Venice and Vicenza provinces during 2005-2013 and was analyzed to visualize crude incidence rates by breed and across age categories. Overall, 2744 mammary tumors were reported accounting for 54% of all tumors in female dogs. The annual incidence rate (IR) was 250 cases per 100,000 dogs. The most frequent malignant tumors were complex carcinomas, consisting of both epithelial and myoepithelial tissues (IR=71.89), and simple carcinomas (IR=62.59). The MT incidence rate increased through the study period; particularly in the last 4 years, and malignant neoplasms occurred more frequently (70%) than the benign counterparts (30%). Seventy-four percent of tumors were diagnosed in intact females, and the mean age at diagnosis was significantly higher for spayed dogs than for intact ones. MT were less frequent in dogs younger than 6 years and increased up to approximately 60% for ages between 8 and 13 years. The purebred dogs had a higher probability to have a malignant neoplasm than mixed-breed dogs, particularly in dogs younger than 7 years, and the Samoyed, Dobermann, Schnauzer and Yorkshire Terrier breeds were more inclined to develop malignant MT. The incidence of MT in dogs is increasing, and IRs are comparable to that in women. The epidemiological similarities between dogs and women support the validity of canine MT as a model for human breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'università 10, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy. Electronic address: mvascellari@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vascellari
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'università 10, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Capello
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'università 10, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carminato
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'università 10, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zanardello
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baioni
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'università 10, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mutinelli
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Dog; Incidence; Mammary tumors; Population; Risk factors