Upper respiratory tract tumors in Cpb:WU (Wistar random) rats

A survey is given of upper respiratory tract tumors in Cpb:WU (Wistar random) rats. Data were collected from ten 24- to 30-month toxicity/carcinogenicity studies and from one 12-month study. Nasal tumors may lead to dyspnea, mouth breathing, and nasal discharge. These clinical signs mainly occurred in rats bearing squamous cell carcinomas. The large nasal tumors were often osteolytic, they invaded the subcutis over the premaxilla, resulting in swellings on the back of the nose, and extended into the brain. The incidence of nasal tumors in untreated male controls was 1.1% (7/661), the tumors invariably being squamous cell carcinomas. There were no nasal tumors found in untreated female controls. The type of compound-induced nasal tumor most frequently observed was adenocarcinoma (of the olfactory epithelium) followed, in order of decreasing incidence, by squamous cell carcinoma, carcinoma in situ, polypoid adenoma, Schwannoma, and carcinosarcoma. It was proposed that adenocarcinomas of the olfactory epithelium should be classified as neuroepitheliomas. It was also suggested that squamous cell carcinomas, seen in association with necrotizing inflammation of an incisor tooth, should be considered as part of the malocclusion syndrome. No spontaneous tracheal tumors were observed, and only one out of 422 untreated female controls (0.2%) was seen to have a laryngeal tumor, an adenoma. Induced laryngeal tumors included carcinoma in situ, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma was the only type of treatment-related tracheal tumor found. The incidences of induced laryngeal and tracheal tumors were very low, and in no case were these tumors statistically significantly different from the respective incidences in controls.