Do dogs and humans share the same risk factors for cancer development?
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Short summary
The project wants to increase our knowledge about risk factors for cancer development in dogs, focusing on breed, sex, and age, using insurance data from Agria Djurförsäkring, as well as investigate reasons for euthanasia in dogs affected by cancer and estimate survival after diagnosis.
Cancer is common in dogs, and negatively impacts animal welfare by causing pain and decreased quality of life. Cancer is also one of the most common causes of euthanasia in dogs.
Pet dogs often live in the same environment as their owners and are exposed to similar environmental pollutants, where some have been associated with an increased risk of cancer development. In additions, some tumours such as lymphoma affect both dogs and humans. In our project, we will investigate if cancer occurrence in dogs and humans co-vary geographically and in that case, if exposure to environmental pollutants can be associated with cancer occurrence.
The goal is to contribute important information regarding risk factors for cancer development in dogs and humans, which hopefully can result in decreased cancer development and increased quality of life in both dogs and humans.