Association between Body Condition Score and Cancer Prognosis in Dogs with Lymphoma and Osteosarcoma

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Oncology
• Canine Health
• Comparative Oncology

Background:

• Obesity is linked to increased cancer risk and severity in humans and rodents.
• The impact of body weight on canine cancer outcomes is not well understood.
• This study investigates body condition in dogs with lymphoma and osteosarcoma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if body condition score (BCS) at diagnosis predicts survival time (ST) and progression-free interval (PFI) in dogs with lymphoma (LSA) and osteosarcoma (OSA).
• To test the hypothesis that overweight dogs have poorer cancer outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 324 dogs (270 LSA, 54 OSA) diagnosed between 2000-2010.
• Dogs were categorized by BCS: underweight, ideal, or overweight.
• Survival time and progression-free interval were compared across BCS groups.

Main Results:

• Overweight dogs (40.4%) were common at diagnosis.
• Underweight dogs with LSA had significantly shorter ST (P = .017).
• BCS did not impact ST for OSA (P = .474) or PFI for either cancer.

Conclusions:

• Being underweight, not overweight, is associated with shorter survival in dogs with lymphoma.
• Body condition score at diagnosis did not affect survival or progression in dogs with osteosarcoma.
• Further research is needed to clarify the role of body weight in canine cancer.