Tumours in calves: comparative aspects

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Oncology
• Comparative Pathology

Background:

• Neoplasia in calves presents distinct patterns compared to adult cattle, pigs, and children.
• Congenital and juvenile tumors in calves are less common than in adult cattle.
• Understanding calf neoplasia is crucial for comparative oncology and animal health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare tumor types and incidence in calves with those in adult cattle, pigs, and children.
• To investigate the characteristics of congenital, juvenile, and iatrogenic tumors in calves.
• To explore potential pathogenetic pathways for calf tumors.

Main Methods:

• Case series analysis of spontaneous congenital, juvenile, and iatrogenic tumors in calves.
• Comparative analysis of tumor patterns across different age groups (calves vs. adult cattle) and species (calves vs. pigs and children).

Main Results:

• Congenital tumors in calves were predominantly mesenchymal and malignant (e.g., malignant lymphoma, mesothelioma).
• Malignant lymphoma and sarcoma were common in juvenile calves; carcinomas were rare.
• Calf tumors were less frequent than in adult cattle, with different tumor types, except for malignant lymphoma.

Conclusions:

• Calf neoplasia patterns differ significantly from adult cattle, with distinct tumor types and lower incidence.
• Calf tumors are largely sporadic, unlike some hereditary tumors observed in pigs.
• Further investigation using modern genetic analysis methods is recommended to elucidate the pathogenesis of congenital calf tumors.