Pathology-Based Animal Cancer Registry of Abruzzo and Molise Regions

Pets share the same environment as humans, making them useful for studying how environmental factors, such as pollution, toxicants and microorganisms, could contribute to cancer onset and development. To better understand tumor frequency, diagnoses, topography and related risk factors, we performed a retrospective study of tumor cases in dogs and cats in Abruzzo and Molise regions (central Italy) over a ten-year period. We analyzed over 5300 tumor cases, with the majority of cases found in dogs. The mean age at the first diagnosis of tumors was similar between sexes and slightly lower in dogs compared to cats. Female animals were the majority, and the most affected sites were the skin, mammary glands and subcutaneous tissues. Non-neutered animals and those living outdoors showed higher risks for certain types of tumors, such as malignant mammary tumors and skin and subcutaneous tumors, respectively. This study also revealed that purebred dogs had a higher risk of developing mammary tumors compared to mixed breeds. Understanding cancer epidemiology in pets could ultimately help protect both animal and human health by implementing prevention strategies that align with the One Health approach.