Breed prevalence of canine lymphoma in South Africa

Abstract

Lymphoma is a common haematopoietic neoplasm in dogs. Several breeds have been shown to have a predisposition to lymphoma; however, very little information exists regarding the South African dog population. This study assessed whether any breed had increased odds of developing lymphoma compared with others, and also investigated the effects of age, sex and neutering status on disease prevalence. Two study populations and their corresponding reference populations were studied retrospectively. Odds ratios (ORs) for lymphoma in 49 dog breeds, together with their 95% confidence intervals (CI), were calculated. Age effect was assessed by calculating ORs for different age categories in one of the populations. The chi-square test was used to evaluate differences in the prevalence of the various sex and neutering categories in one lymphoma population compared with its reference population. Fourteen breeds had significantly increased odds of developing lymphoma, and one breed had significantly decreased odds (p < 0.050). The median ages of the two lymphoma populations were 6.5 and 8.0 years, with the 6.1–9.0 year category having significantly increased odds of developing lymphoma (OR 1.61, CI 1.2–2.16, p = 0.002). In one of the lymphoma populations, higher proportions of males (p = 0.033) and neutered females (p = 0.006) were found when compared with the reference population. These findings suggest that certain breeds in South Africa have a higher risk of developing lymphoma, and that sex hormones may play a role in lymphoma pathogenesis. The findings may provide useful information for pet owners and veterinarians.

Breed and anatomical predisposition for canine cutaneous neoplasia in South Africa during 2013

“…Boerboels are a mastiff breed developed in South Africa 37 and subsequently recognised as an official breed by the American Kennel Club 38 . However, few studies have been published concerning neoplasia in this breed 39–41 . The present study provides evidence that boerboels have an increased risk for mast cell tumours similar to breeds with bulldog ancestry.…”

Environmental exposures and lymphoma risk: a nested case–control study using the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study cohort

“…Control dogs all underwent annual physical examinations and diagnostic testing, increasing our confidence that they were lymphoma-free at the time of matching. Cases and controls were also matched on age, sex, and timing of gonadectomy to decrease potential confounding [ 44 – 46 ]. Importantly, the prospective longitudinal design of the cohort allowed us to account for mobility of study participants and duration of residence when evaluating environmental exposures.…”

Epigenetic Alterations in Canine Malignant Lymphoma: Future and Clinical Outcomes

“…This prevalence depends on different variants, including canine breed. Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler and Boxer are breeds that present high prevalence of lymphomas [2][3][4]. Several clinical presentations and morphological subtypes have been studied, and the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies canine malignant lymphomas (CML) into different subtypes, regarding histopathology and immunohistochemistry, with two large groups according to origin: B-cell neoplasms and T-cell and putative natural killer cell neoplasms [5].…”