Researchers at the University of Liverpool and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have developed the world’s largest open-source database dedicated to canine and feline tumours, comprising over one million records. This comprehensive resource is designed to enhance understanding of the factors that influence the risk of cancer in pets, offering a significant advancement in veterinary science.
The initiative brings together a multidisciplinary team with expertise in veterinary pathology, epidemiology, data science, and clinical practice. By collaborating with veterinary diagnostic laboratories and employing sophisticated methods for data extraction and standardisation, the researchers have established a unified database that will aid in the study of both common and rare cancers.
Significance of the Tumour Registry
The extensive size of this tumour registry enables researchers to investigate rare cancers and less common breeds in unprecedented detail. Access to this rich and standardised data allows researchers globally to explore patterns that have previously been obscured by fragmented reporting.
David Killick, Professor of Veterinary Oncology at the University of Liverpool, emphasised the importance of understanding cancer risks for pets. “Most cancer diagnosis data for dogs and cats reside in private veterinary labs, which are often inaccessible for research,” he stated. “Through SAVSNET, our Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network, we aimed to consolidate large volumes of data into a single, research-ready database.”
This tumour registry marks a pivotal step toward a deeper understanding of cancer risks in pets. Preliminary analyses indicate that neutering practices may influence the risk of certain cancers, and the scale of the data opens new avenues for exploring the genetic basis of these diseases.
Collaboration and Future Prospects
Jose Rodríguez Torres, a PhD Veterinary Data Scientist at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, noted that while cancer diagnosis analysis is well established in human medicine, similar efforts in veterinary medicine have lagged due to data fragmentation. “With more than 200 breeds and over 150 tumour types represented, this dataset can now be utilised by researchers worldwide to better understand cancer risk across various tumour–breed combinations,” he explained.
Dr Francesco Cian from BattLab, a collaborating laboratory and co-author of the publication, expressed enthusiasm about the project. “Working with the University of Liverpool and ULPGC on this initiative has been rewarding as we have identified new uses for the data we generate. Traditionally, our results assist veterinarians in supporting pet owners, but this research allows us to compile anonymised results and generate new knowledge regarding tumour risks across a wide range of cancers.”
The research team plans to enhance the registry by partnering with additional laboratories and continues to gather data in real-time. As the registry expands, further analysis can be refined, providing insights into how dogs with tumours compare to the broader UK canine population.
A publicly accessible summary of the data has been created to assist veterinarians, pet owners, and researchers in understanding tumour risks. The focus on canine tumours has been highlighted in a newly published paper in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, titled “Epidemiology of Four Major Canine Tumours in the UK: Insights From a National Pathology Registry With Comparative Oncology Perspectives” (DOI:10.1111/vco.70056).
This groundbreaking work is funded by the Petplan Charitable Trust. As this initiative progresses, it promises to significantly advance the understanding of cancer risks in pets and potentially improve clinical outcomes for affected animals.
