Canine paediatric oncology: retrospective assessment of 9522 tumours in dogs up to 12 months (1993-2008).

Little information is available on the occurrence of neoplasms in dogs up to the age of 12 months. This is a retrospective review of histopathological diagnoses of neoplasia in dogs up to the age of 12 months based on biopsy specimens submitted to a commercial veterinary diagnostic laboratory in the United Kingdom between 1993 and 2008. In 20 280 histological submissions, 9522 neoplasms were identified. Canine cutaneous histiocytoma (n = 8465; 89%) was the most common histological type. Neoplasms other than histiocytoma (n = 1057; 11%) were grouped as benign epithelial (n = 375; 4%), haematopoietic (n = 229; 2%), benign mesenchymal (n = 145; 2%), miscellaneous (n = 118; 1%), non-hematopoietic malignant mesenchymal (n = 118; 1%) or malignant epithelial tumours (n = 72; <1%). Excluding canine cutaneous histiocytoma, 52% of tumours (n = 547) were benign, and 66% were from the skin or soft tissues. These data provide valuable epidemiological information on neoplasms occurring in juvenile dogs in the United Kingdom.

Feline paediatric oncology: retrospective assessment of 233 tumours from cats up to one year (1993 to 2008).

OBJECTIVES: To determine which types of tumour occur in cats up to the age of 12 months based on biopsies submitted to Idexx Laboratories, Wetherby, UK. METHODS: Retrospective review of histopathological diagnoses of tumours in cats up to the age of 12 months from biopsies received between September 1993 and March 2008. RESULTS: A total of 4196 submissions from cats 12 months old or younger were identified; 233 biopsies (6%) were neoplastic and fulfilled the search criteria. Tumours were categorised as haematopoietic (n=73, 31%), malignant epithelial (n=44; 19%), malignant mesenchymal (n=38; 16%), benign epithelial (n=37; 16%), benign mesenchymal (n=30, 13%) and miscellaneous (n=11; 5%). The most frequent tumours were lymphoma (n=51; 22%), soft-tissue sarcoma (n=34; 15%), mast cell tumour (n=22; 9%) and squamous cell carcinoma (n=16; 7%). The most common tumour site was the skin and soft tissues (41% of tumours). In all, 164 neoplasms (70%) were malignant or had malignant potential. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: These data provide unique epidemiological information on a poorly characterised subgroup of feline cancer patients in the UK.