A cancer diagnosis — what now?

Cancer is an insidious, nefarious and obstinate disease. It represents a major cause of canine death and accounts for 27% of all deaths in purebred dogs in the United Kingdom (Adams et al, 2010). Cancer is an intricate set of biological aberrations that originate in the nucleus of cells and are not completely understood. It results in the uncontrolled and reckless growth of destructive cells that overwhelm the body as they accumulate (Balducci, 2007). The etiopathogenesis (cause and progression) of cancer in animals is likely to be multifactorial, but may involve both genetic and environmental risk factors. Dobson (2013) stated that the limited genetic diversity seen in purebred dogs facilitates genetic linkage, citing the breeds with the highest proportional mortality for cancer as the Irish water spaniel, Flat-coated retriever and Hungarian wirehaired vizsla. As with humans, exposure to environmental contaminants such as cigarette smoke, asbestos and other pollutants has been associated with an increased risk of developing cancer in pets (Moore and Frimberger, 2010).