Feel a Lump? What to Know About Cancer in Dogs

Three years ago, I found a bump behind Albert’s left ear. After some tests, the veterinarian told us he had a tumor (cancer). Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis for both humans and our beloved canine companions. Similar to human cancers, many types of canine cancers range from relatively benign to extremely aggressive, leading to tumor spread and eventual death. Albert’s tumor had not spread. The veterinarian was able to remove it with a surgery.

Unfortunately, canine cancer is common. It is the leading cause of death in dogs over the age of 10. Fifty percent of all canine cancers are curable if caught early. Although cancer may occur more often in older dogs, it can affect younger dogs as well. Albert, my lovely black Labrador Retriever, was only three years old when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Dogs are susceptible to the same types of cancers affecting humans. Cancer in dogs can be found in the skin, bones, breast, head & neck, lymph system, bone, pancreas, liver, prostate, and lung among others. Cancer generally occurs spontaneously in dogs. The clinical presentation, disease progression, and response to treatment parallels that of the corresponding human cancers. These shared similarities may be because humans and dogs also have strong physiologic and genetic characteristics in common.

Over 1.7 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and about 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer annually in the USA. Because many of the cancers that affect dogs closely resemble human cancer, the new treatments that are given to dogs as part of clinical trials can also provide valuable information for cancer research that can ultimately benefit both people and animals. Therefore, research across species and collaboration between researchers from human and veterinary medicine is critical to understand the origins of cancer and convert these findings to safer and more effective therapies in a shorter period of time.

In next posts, I will be sharing information about the most common cancers in dogs and how they relate to the same type of cancers in humans.  The similarities in some cases are striking. The human-canine bond is stronger than you might think.