The epidemiology of mast cell tumours in insured dogs in Sweden

BACKGROUND: Mast cell tumour (MCT) is the most common skin neoplasia in dogs. This study aimed to explore the incidence rate, cause-specific mortality rate and risk factors (breed, age, gender) for MCT in insured dogs in Sweden (2011-2016). RESULTS: The study population of this cohort study included just over 600,000 dogs, which either were insured for veterinary care, life, or both. There were 917 dogs with veterinary care claims for MCT, and the incidence rate was 5.23 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 4.90-5.58) cases per 10,000 dog-years at risk (DYAR). The risk of MCT was higher in females than in males (relative risk (RR) 1.29, 95 % CI: 1.13-1.48, P < 0.001). The breeds at highest risk were the Dogo Argentino (RR 30.0, 95 % CI 9.70-70.2) and Boxer (RR 9.78, 95 % CI 7.02-13.3), while the Jämthund (RR 0.10, 95 % CI 0.01-0.35) and Cavalier King Charles spaniel (RR 0.06, 95 % CI 0.00-0.35) had the lowest risk. The median age at first diagnosis was 7.93 (range 0.44-15.4) years. In total, 11.6 % of the affected dogs suffered multiple MCT events. The cause-specific mortality rate was 0.79 (95 % CI: 0.63-0.97) deaths per 10,000 DYAR, and 87 of all dogs that were covered by life insurance died of MCT-related causes at a median age of 8.33 years (range 2.16-11.7). The Shar-pei (RR 51.5, 95 % CI: 13.7-137.0) had the highest risk of MCT-related death. CONCLUSIONS: MCT mainly affected middle-aged to older dogs, and large breed-related differences in the risk of MCT and MCT-related death were found.

Authors: K. Engdahl, S. Saellström, Å. Hedhammar, M. Dimopoulou and H. Rönnberg Title: The epidemiology of mast cell tumours in insured dogs in Sweden Full source: Prev Vet Med, 2025,Vol 242, pp 106589
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Abstract	Source
BACKGROUND: Mast cell tumour (MCT) is the most common skin neoplasia in dogs. This study aimed to explore the incidence rate, cause-specific mortality rate and risk factors (breed, age, gender) for MCT in insured dogs in Sweden (2011-2016). RESULTS: The study population of this cohort study included just over 600,000 dogs, which either were insured for veterinary care, life, or both. There were 917 dogs with veterinary care claims for MCT, and the incidence rate was 5.23 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 4.90-5.58) cases per 10,000 dog-years at risk (DYAR). The risk of MCT was higher in females than in males (relative risk (RR) 1.29, 95 % CI: 1.13-1.48, P < 0.001). The breeds at highest risk were the Dogo Argentino (RR 30.0, 95 % CI 9.70-70.2) and Boxer (RR 9.78, 95 % CI 7.02-13.3), while the Jämthund (RR 0.10, 95 % CI 0.01-0.35) and Cavalier King Charles spaniel (RR 0.06, 95 % CI 0.00-0.35) had the lowest risk. The median age at first diagnosis was 7.93 (range 0.44-15.4) years. In total, 11.6 % of the affected dogs suffered multiple MCT events. The cause-specific mortality rate was 0.79 (95 % CI: 0.63-0.97) deaths per 10,000 DYAR, and 87 of all dogs that were covered by life insurance died of MCT-related causes at a median age of 8.33 years (range 2.16-11.7). The Shar-pei (RR 51.5, 95 % CI: 13.7-137.0) had the highest risk of MCT-related death. CONCLUSIONS: MCT mainly affected middle-aged to older dogs, and large breed-related differences in the risk of MCT and MCT-related death were found.