Age at cancer diagnosis by breed, weight, sex, and cancer type in a cohort of more than 3,000 dogs: Determining the optimal age to initiate cancer screening in canine patients.

ABSTRACT: The goal of cancer screening is to detect disease at an early stage when treatment may be more effective. Cancer screening in dogs has relied upon annual physical examinations and routine laboratory tests, which are largely inadequate for detecting preclinical disease. With the introduction of non-invasive liquid biopsy cancer detection methods, the discussion is shifting from how to screen dogs for cancer to when to screen dogs for cancer. To address this question, we analyzed data from 3,452 cancer-diagnosed dogs to determine the age at which dogs of certain breeds and weights are typically diagnosed with cancer. In our study population, the median age at cancer diagnosis was 8.8 years, with males diagnosed at younger ages than females, and neutered dogs diagnosed at significantly later

SUBMITTER: Rafalko JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9891508 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature