Swiss Canine Cancer Registry 1955-2008: Occurrence of the Most Common Tumour Diagnoses and Influence of Age, Breed, Body Size, Sex and Neutering Status on Tumour Development.

This study is based on the Swiss Canine Cancer Registry, comprising 121,963 diagnostic records of dogs compiled between 1955 and 2008, in which 63,214 (51.83%) animals were diagnosed with tumour lesions through microscopical investigation. Adenoma/adenocarcinoma (n = 12,293, 18.09%) was the most frequent tumour diagnosis. Other common tumour diagnoses were: mast cell tumour (n = 4,415, 6.50%), lymphoma (n = 2,955, 4.35%), melanocytic tumours (n = 2,466, 3.63%), fibroma/fibrosarcoma (n = 2,309, 3.40%), haemangioma/haemangiosarcoma (n = 1,904, 2.80%), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1,324, 1.95%) and osteoma/osteosarcoma (n = 842, 1.24%). The relative occurrence over time and the most common body locations of those tumour diagnoses are presented. Analyses of the influence of age, breed, body size, sex and neutering status on tumour development were carried out using multiple logistic regression. In certain breeds/breed categories the odds ratios (ORs) for particular tumours were outstandingly high: the boxer had higher ORs for mast cell tumour and haemangioma/haemangiosarcoma, as did the shepherd group for haemangioma/haemangiosarcoma, the schnauzer for squamous cell carcinoma and the rottweiler for osteoma/osteosarcoma. In small dogs, the risk of developing mammary tumours was three times higher than in large dogs. However, small dogs were less likely to be affected by many other tumour types (e.g. tumours of the skeletal system). Examination of the influence of sex and neutering status on tumour prevalence showed that the results depend on the examination method. In all sampling groups the risk for female dogs of developing adenoma/adenocarcinoma was higher than for male dogs. Females had a lower risk of developing haemangioma/haemangiosarcoma and squamous cell carcinoma than males. Neutered animals were at higher risk of developing specific tumours outside the genital organs than intact animals. The sample size allows detailed insight into the influences of age, breed, body size, sex and neutering status on canine tumour development. In many cases, the analysis confirms the findings of other authors. In some cases, the results are unique or contradict other studies, implying that further investigations are necessary.

Swiss Feline Cancer Registry 1965-2008: the Influence of Sex, Breed and Age on Tumour Types and Tumour Locations.

Cancer registries are valuable sources for epidemiological research investigating risk factors underlying different types of cancer incidence. The present study is based on the Swiss Feline Cancer Registry that comprises 51,322 feline patient records, compiled between 1965 and 2008. In these records, 18,375 tumours were reported. The study analyses the influence of sex, neutering status, breed, time and age on the development of the most common tumour types and on their locations, using a multiple logistic regression model. The largest differences between breeds were found in the development of fibrosarcomas and squamous cell carcinomas, as well as in the development of tumours in the skin/subcutis and mammary gland. Differences, although often small, in sex and neutering status were observed in most analyses. Tumours were more frequent in middle-aged and older cats. The sample size allowed detailed analyses of the influence of sex, neutering status, breed and age. Results of the study are mainly consistent with previous analyses; however, some results cannot be compared with the existing literature. Further investigations are necessary, since feline tumours have not been investigated in depth to date. More accurate comparisons would require the definition of international standards for animal cancer registries.

Swiss Feline Cancer Registry: A Retrospective Study of the Occurrence of Tumours in Cats in Switzerland from 1965 to 2008.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in companion animals. Information on the epidemiology of cancer is instrumental for veterinary practitioners in patient management; however, spontaneously arising tumours in companion animals also resemble those in man and can provide useful data in combating cancer. Veterinary cancer registries for cats are few in number and have often remained short-lived. This paper presents a retrospective study of tumours in cats in Switzerland from 1965 to 2008. Tumour diagnoses were coded according to topographical and morphological keys of the International Classification of Oncology for Humans (ICD-O-3). Correlations between breed, sex and age were then examined using a multiple logistic regression model. A total of 18,375 tumours were diagnosed in 51,322 cats. Of these, 14,759 (80.3%) tumours were malignant. Several breeds had significantly lower odds ratios for developing a tumour compared with European shorthair cats. The odds of a cat developing a tumour increased with age, up to the age of 16 years, and female cats had higher risk of developing a tumour compared with male cats. Skin (4,970; 27.05%) was the most frequent location for tumours, followed by connective tissue (3,498; 19.04%), unknown location (2,532; 13.78%) and female sexual organs (1,564; 8.51%). The most common tumour types were epithelial tumours (7,913; 43.06%), mesenchymal tumours (5,142; 27.98%) and lymphoid tumours (3,911; 21.28%).

The Swiss Canine Cancer Registry: a retrospective study on the occurrence of tumours in dogs in Switzerland from 1955 to 2008.

Diagnostic records are a key feature of any cancer epidemiology, prevention or control strategy for man and animals. Therefore, the information stored in human and animal cancer registries is essential for undertaking comparative epidemiological, pathogenic and therapeutic research. This study presents the Swiss Canine Cancer Registry, containing case data compiled between 1955 and 2008. The data consist of pathology diagnostic records issued by three veterinary diagnostic laboratories in Switzerland. The tumours were classified according to the guidelines of the International Classification of Oncology for Humans on the basis of tumour type, malignancy and body location. The dogs were classified according to breed, age, sex, neuter status and place of residence. The diagnostic data were correlated with data on the Swiss general dog population and the incidence of cancer in dogs was thus investigated. A total of 67,943 tumours were diagnosed in 121,963 dogs and 47.07% of these were malignant. The most common tumour location was the skin (37.05%), followed by mammary glands (23.55%) and soft tissue (13.66%). The most common tumour diagnoses were epithelial (38.45%), mesenchymal (35.10%) and lymphoid tumours (13.23%). The results are compared with data in other canine registries and similarities in tumour distribution and incidence are noted. It is hoped that this study will mark the beginning of continuous registration of dog tumours in Switzerland, which, in turn, will serve as a reference for research in the fields of animal and human oncology.

[Dog population and dog breeds in Switzerland from 1955 to 2008]. / Hundepopulation und Hunderassen in der Schweiz von 1955 bis 2008.

Aim of this study is to present a survey of the dog population and breed distribution in Switzerland from 1955 to 2008 as basis to realize a population based canine cancer register for Switzerland. The number of dogs rose from 309'000 in 1955 to approximately 500'000 in 2008 correlating with a parallel increase of human population. The ratio of dogs per 100 inhabitants remains stable. This ratio is lower in German speaking compared to French or Italian speaking Cantons. The variety and popularity of breeds changed from 1955 to 2008, "winners" are Labrador and Golden Retrievers, Yorkshire and Jack Russel Terriers. Less popular breeds over the years are German Sheherd dogs and Poodles.

Driver behaviour during flashing green before amber: a comparative study.

The paper discusses the results of extensive measurements of drivers' stopping behaviour during signal programmes with and without flashing green before amber. Ten locations in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany were recorded with a video camera and analysed using an image-processing system. About 5000 cycles were documented. The analysis shows that the flashing green increases the number of early stops, as drivers tend to underestimate the duration of the time to the end of amber. Discrete choice models of the stopping behaviour are estimated for inclusion in suitable microsimulation models of traffic flow. The model results show that speed and distance to stop line, and their interaction (potential time to the stop line with unchanged speed) explain the stopping process.