Ovine intestinal adenocarcinomas: histologic and phenotypic comparison with human colon cancer

Approximately 7% of old, unthrifty sheep (Ovis aries) in New Zealand have intestinal adenocarcinomas. To investigate whether these sheep might be used as a model of human colonic neoplasia, the biologic behavior and histologic appearance of ovine intestinal adenocarcinomas were compared with those reported for human colonic adenocarcinomas. We collected 50 intestinal tracts with grossly visible intestinal neoplasia from slaughtered sheep. Neoplasms were assessed using World Health Organization guidelines for assessment of human colonic adenocarcinomas. All ovine adenocarcinomas developed in the small intestine. In contrast, only 4% of human intestinal tumors develop at this location, whereas the majority develop in the colon. A visible polyp is present within 89% of human colonic adenocarcinomas, whereas polyps were present in only 46% of the ovine neoplasms. Intestinal wall infiltration by the neoplastic cells and rates of lymph node (84% in sheep; 61% in humans) and distant (52% in sheep; 17% in humans) metastases were comparable between ovine and human adenocarcinomas. However, ovine adenocarcinomas developed more peritoneal and fewer hepatic metastases than human adenocarcinomas. Histologic grading of ovine tumors revealed cell differentiation similar to that reported within human colonic adenocarcinomas. In conclusion, ovine intestinal adenocarcinomas, like human colonic adenocarcinomas, typically arise spontaneously and consistently develop widespread metastases. In addition, tumors appear histologically similar between these species. Therefore, sheep may provide a model of advanced human colonic cancer, possibly allowing evaluation of novel therapeutics and surgical procedures.