PetDX Study Shows Dogs Should be Screened for Cancer Earlier

PetDx– The Liquid Biopsy Company for Pets published a study today describing the optimal age to begin cancer screening for dogs in PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal from the Public Library of Science.

The authors examined data from more than 3,000 dogs with cancer to determine the typical age at which dogs of various breeds and weights developed the disease. Their findings support a general recommendation to start screening all dogs for cancer at the age of 7 and starting as early as age 4 for certain breeds, in order to increase the chance of early detection and treatment.

“Veterinarians already know that cancer risk is influenced heavily by age and breed, and that dogs of certain breeds or sizes are at risk of developing cancer earlier in life than others,” said Andi Flory, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), PetDx Chief Medical Officer. “Importantly, this study lays the foundation for an evidence-based recommendation for when to start cancer screening for individual dogs based on their breed or weight.”

The findings are in line with the company’s recommendations for when to begin annual screening with OncoK9®, its pioneering multi-cancer early detection (MCED) liquid biopsy test for dogs, which was previously shown to detect 30 different types of canine cancer with a simple blood draw using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The findings of this study underpin the company’s OncoK9 Cancer SAFE (Screening Age For Early detection) Tool, an online calculator that allows users to easily find out the recommended age to start screening any dog for cancer.

“Until recently, cancer screening options in dogs were limited,” said Jill Rafalko, MS, CGC, lead study author and PetDx Director of Scientific Communications. “With the widespread availability of next-generation sequencing-based liquid biopsy testing, the question is shifting from how to screen dogs for cancer to when to screen dogs for cancer. Our study helps answer that question.”