Cartography of neoplasms in dogs from different regions of the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil: a survey (2002-2003) of data from the Veterinary Hospital of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo, Brazil

Epidemiological study of canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) in Brazil, 2000-2020

Canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is a contagious neoplasm, mainly transmitted through coitus. This round cell mesenchymal tumor is common in Brazil, often located in the genitalia although extragenital presentations may also occur, such as cutaneous, oral, and nasal forms. The objective of this study was to perform an epidemiological analysis of CTVT from published data in the recent academic literature to systematically demonstrate the distribution of CTVT in Brazil, identify the frequency of this neoplasm and its main diagnostic tests, and characterize its main clinical manifestations in Brazil. For such purpose, it was analyzed the scientific publications with cases of CTVT in Brazil, in English or Portuguese, published between 2000-2020. The CTVT was identified in 19 Brazilian states plus the Federal District, totaling 3,622 cases across the national territory, with the largest number of cases recorded in the Southeast region. The cytological exam was the most used for the diagnosis of CTVT (89.2 %), followed by histopathological (37.8 %) and immunohistochemistry (13.5 %)¹ . Predominant epidemiological aspects of CTVT identified in the study were: Mixed breed dogs (75.2 %), females (62.5 %), in adulthood (between 2 and 7 years) and dogs with free extra outdoor access (91.1 %). Genital presentation was the most frequent in the literature (86 %), followed by cutaneous (21.8 %), nasal (10 %), oral and lymph nodes presentations (10-5 %) and less frequent manifestations as ocular and anal/perianal (< 5 %). CTVT is a neoplasm widely distributed in Brazil, highly frequent and with several forms of clinical presentation, which can be underdiagnosed if there is no adequate knowledge of this tumor and its epidemiological characteristics. The extragenital manifestations of the neoplasm need further studies for its better characterization and more precise definition of its frequencies.

Global Perspective on Careers in Environmental Toxicologic Pathology: The 2019 Society of Toxicologic Pathology Annual Symposium Lunchtime Career Development Session

A wide range of career options is available globally in the environmental toxicologic pathology (ETP) arena including academia, government, contract research organizations, and the agrichemical/chemical industry. This small and specialized subset of toxicologic pathologists addresses the effects of contaminants and pollutants on human, animal, and ecological health (One Health). Veterinary students and pathology trainees are primarily exposed to diagnostic pathology and often have limited exposure to toxicologic pathology and even less so to the issues and opportunities in environmental toxicology. The speakers provided a brief overview of global opportunities in their work sector and personal perspectives of their careers in ETP. The following panel discussion provided an opportunity to discuss issues related to careers in this specialty.

Exploring Uncertainty in Canine Cancer Data Sources Through Dasymetric Refinement

In spite of the potentially groundbreaking environmental sentinel applications, studies of canine cancer data sources are often limited due to undercounting of cancer cases. This source of uncertainty might be further amplified through the process of spatial data aggregation, manifested as part of the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). In this study, we explore potential explanatory factors for canine cancer incidence retrieved from the Swiss Canine Cancer Registry (SCCR) in a regression modeling framework. In doing so, we also evaluate differences in statistical performance and associations resulting from a dasymetric refinement of municipal units to their portion of residential land. Our findings document severe underascertainment of cancer cases in the SCCR, which we linked to specific demographic characteristics and reduced use of veterinary care. These explanatory factors result in improved statistical performance when computed using dasymetrically refined units. This suggests that dasymetric mapping should be further tested in geographic correlation studies of canine cancer incidence and in future comparative studies involving human cancers.