S22A - The Importance of Early Cancer Detection in Dogs

Major veterinary medical organization agree that the early identification of cancer is important: however, current screening paradigms (annual/semi-annual physical exam and routine minimum database) are inadequate for early detection of most canine cancers. So, it's probably no surprise to hear that most dogs are diagnosed with cancer after the family notices clinical signs due to the disease. This session will review data from a cohort of over 350 cancer-diagnosed dogs, evaluating how the disease come to clinical attention. The session will then discuss a novel, blood-based approach to cancer screening - Liquid biopsy testing. The session will conclude by answering the question "when should I start screening a dog for cancer' by reviewing data from a large study of over 3,000 cancer-diagnosed dogs in which median age at cancer diagnosis was analyzed by breed and weight.