Frequency of canine and feline tumors in a defined population

The Tulsa Registry of Canine and Feline Neoplasms was the second animal tumor registry in the United States concerned with a defined population in a delimited geographic area. Only tumors histologically confirmed by registry pathologists were included in frequency statistics based on the annual dog and cat population presented to veterinarians. During the first registry year, about 1% of the 63,504 dogs and 0.5% of the 11,909 cats had one or more primary tumors. While the incidence rate for malignant tumors in dogs was similar to that in cats, the incidence of benign tumors of dogs was over 10 times that of cats. The most common tumors were sebaceous adenoma in dogs and lymphosarcoma in cats. Mammary cancer was the most common malignant tumor in dogs. Mammary tumors of female dogs were significantly more frequent in Pointers, Poodles and Boston Terriers, in that order, than in other breeds. A greater incidence of mammary tumors among intact compared to spayed female dogs was seen for virtually every age group except in the Pointer breed.