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Vol. 06 Issue 1, Winter 2001

Feasibility Being Explored for a New York State Companion Animal Tumor Registry
The Ribbon 

The Comparative Cancer Program at Cornell University is interested in determining the feasibility of a New York State companion animal tumor registry. Such a registry would support current efforts in New York to enhance cancer detection in humans and provide essential information regarding cancer control in companion animals.

Until now, the role of animals in public health has focused on zoonotic diseases and food safety. It is now recognized that cancer in companion animals provides a vastly underutilized resource for cancer risk assessment in humans. Naturally occurring cancers in pets have similar histopathological features and biologic behavior to tumors in man but often progress more rapidly. Furthermore, in contrast to human cancer studies, cancer development in companion animals is not subject to confounding risks, such as smoking and alcohol consumption. Finally tumor tissue and serum or urine samples can be readily collected and analyzed in animal patients allowing characterization of exposure history to tumor development.

Significant logistic issues have limited development of animal cancer registries in the past. No census data currently exists for pets and cancer is not a reportable disease in companion animals. In addition, standards and guidelines for reporting, collecting, coding and archiving data also need to be established that would complement data collection in humans. However, with sufficient resources and expertise, these problems may be overcome. It is our goal to more fully characterize the obstacles confronting development of an animal tumor registry and to define the resources needed to support this important resource for human and animal health. We are planning a workshop on the subject April 28 in NYC. This will bring together veterinarians and epidemiologists and anyone else that has an interest in an animal tumor registry to discuss strategies to over come some of the hurdles. Anyone that is interested should contact Dr. Susan Ettinger: sel9@cornell.edu.

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Last Update 03.30.01