Updated May 1, 2024 – As Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study approaches its 13th year since its inception, it is no surprise that our team has begun to notice an uptick in cancer diagnoses among our Study cohort.
We designed the Study to identify risk factors for cancer and other health problems. When we set out in 2012, we identified four cancers of particular interest. However, we carefully tracked all cancers in the cohort, and we added a fifth cancer to the list due to a higher-than-expected incidence.
As we launch our annual Stop Cancer Furever campaign, it’s an excellent time to review the latest numbers from the Study, recap where we’re heading and discuss what this data means for dogs everywhere suffering from cancer.
In brief, the five cancers of particular interest are:
- One of the most aggressive tumors of dogs
- Three common sites: spleen, right atrium of the heart and skin
- Multiple breeds have a higher incidence, but any dog can be affected
- It affects older dogs (average age 10 years) more frequently than young dogs
- 90% of dogs die within one year of diagnosis, even with treatment
- Cause of 70% of cancer deaths in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study cohort
- As of March 1, 2024, 407 dogs in the Study have been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma
To learn more about hemangiosarcoma, check out our hemangiosarcoma resources page.
- Most common type of cancer diagnosed in dogs
- Similarities to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in people
- Although several breeds are predisposed to lymphoma, any dog can be affected.
- Many different subtypes are now recognized, which affect prognosis and treatment.
- As of March 1, 2024, 179 dogs in the Study have been diagnosed with lymphoma.
- The most common primary bone tumor in dogs
- Large and giant-breed dogs are predisposed
- Height is a more significant risk factor than breed
- It occurs most commonly in dogs 7-9 years of age and 1-2 years of age
- As of March 1, 2024, 21 dogs in the Study have been diagnosed with osteosarcoma
- The most common malignant skin tumor in dogs
- Many breeds are at risk; the highest incidence is in brachycephalic breeds (shorter-nosed and flat-faced dogs)
- Experts divide mast cell tumors by grade based on microscopic appearance – the higher the grade, the worse the prognosis.
- Lower-grade tumors are curable.
- Surgery is the first and best treatment choice.
- As of March 1, 2024, 36 dogs in the Study have been diagnosed with high-grade mast cell tumors and 146 with lower-grade mast cell tumors.
- Most common in middle-aged and older dogs
- Breeds at risk include Bernese mountain dogs, golden retrievers, flat-coated retrievers, Rottweilers, miniature schnauzers, and Pembroke Welsh corgis.
- One of the deadliest cancers affecting dogs
- As of March 1, 2024, 46 dogs in the Study have been diagnosed with histiocytic sarcoma.
The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is a rare opportunity for researchers to find answers to some of the deadliest cancers affecting dogs.
Only 1,424 of the original 3,044 dogs remain. Some dogs have withdrawn, some dogs are inactive, but cancer has claimed the lives of 1,132 dogs, with an astounding 75% of these deaths attributed to it. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our owner participants, we’ve collected extra data and biologic samples on the dogs diagnosed with cancer, providing our researchers with a unique opportunity to study cancer in previously impossible ways.
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Additional Resources
Video:
- Hemangiosarcoma: What Every Dog Owner Needs to Know and Research Highlights
- Golden Zoomies: Insights Into Canine Cancer
Fresh Scoop Podcast:
