A cohort study of canine testicular neoplasia

Abstract

A prospective epidemiologic study of canine testicular neoplasia was undertaken in the Philadelphia area in 1971, with the cooperation of private veterinary practitioners. By the end of 1975, 938 dogs had been monitored for an average of 2 years. The cohort consisted of 609 cryptorchid and 329 age- and breed-matched controls. The incidence of testicular neoplasia in the cryptorchid subcohort was 12.7/1,000 dog-years at risk. Testicular neoplasms did not develop in controls. A large proportion of the dogs were below the average age at onset for this neoplasm. Among dogs over 6 years of age, the incidence was 68.1/1,000 dog-years at risk. The incidence of Sertoli cell tumors and seminoma was approximately twice as high in dogs with unilaterally retained inguinal testicles as in abdominal cryptorchids. Sertoli cell tumors developed in 10 dogs and seminoma developed in 6. One half of the testicular neoplasms that developed did so within the first year of observation. This study demonstrated the feasibility of conducting prospective epidemiologic studies of canine diseases with the assistance of practicing veterinarians.