Cancer is the leading cause of death for cats and dogs, with 1 in 4 dogs and 1 in 5 cats experiencing cancer in their lifetimes. Yet despite its prevalence, little was known about the prevalence of different types of cancer in our pets, as well as the risk factors associated with each type of cancer. This valuable data was kept within diagnostic databases and required time-consuming retrieval and transformation processes to be used by the broader community.
Dr Chiara Palmieri and colleagues saw the potential to join up that data to create a valuable database of pet cancers, Australian Companion Animal Registry of Cancers (ACARCinom), Australia’s first national registry of cat and dog cancer occurrences, backed by real-time data.
“War against cancer is unanimously accepted as a priority, no matter which species we are dealing with. We are all heavily involved in increasing our efforts to ensure that all cancer patients receive the best possible care.
“Having continuous and robust population data on cancer occurrence is necessary to monitor the impact of the disease and even to redirect resources to the cancers we should focus on. By collating and analysing this data, we can better understand the incidence and prevalence of cancer based on breed, sex, age, and location, allowing us to improve pet cancer care.”
ACARCinom received co-investment from the ARDC, and is a partnership between 5 university veterinary schools and Australia’s 2 leading veterinary pathology providers. The project is led by the University of Queensland, partnering with universities QUT, University of Sydney, University of Adelaide and Murdoch University, and with veterinary pathology providers Gribbles Veterinary Pathology and IDEXX.
The ACARCinom dashboard was launched in November 2023 at the University of Queensland, with over 50 attendees in person and online.
Speakers included: Melissa Brown (Executive Dean, UQ Faculty of Science), Nigel Perkins (Head of School, UQ School of Veterinary Science), Catherine Brady (Program manager, ARDC), Paul Bonnington (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research infrastructure), Geeta Saini (Director, Australian Veterinary Association), Chiara Palmieri (Professor in Veterinary Pathology and ACARCinom coordinator), Ricardo Soares Magalhaes (Professor of Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology and Biosecurity, ACARCinom partner).
ACARCinom is not only helping us understand pet cancers, but could provide an early warning system for human cancer caused by environmental carcinogens. Cats and dogs live in our homes, sharing our environment, so they are also seen as sentinels for unseen cancer-causing carcinogens or the modern canaries in the coal mine.
Tumours caused by environmental carcinogens, like hazardous chemicals, develop faster in dogs than in humans. For example, a cancer that takes 5 years to develop in dogs can take 20 years to develop in humans.
Since its launch, the ACARCinom dashboard has received significant attention with more than 2500 page views and approximately 380 users from diverse countries, including the US, China, Brazil, UK, Italy, Portugal and Canada. There has also been a high level of engagement from the ACARCinom target audience on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook) and interest from potential data providers. The ACARCinom platform was presented at the annual meeting of the Global Initiative for Veterinary Cancer Surveillance (GIVCS) at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) on 10 May 2024.
ACARCinom partners shared the importance of the platform and its impact on pet cancer diagnosis, treatment and outcomes.
Attracta Roach, Commercial Leader at Gribbles Veterinary Pathology, said there’s a need for robust animal cancer data so we can direct resources to the highest priority cancers. She said, “By getting to know what is more common, we can begin to understand why.”
Professor Mark Krockenberger, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney said, “There’s a huge potential to accelerate scientific discovery and increase our knowledge about pet cancers. Soon the data could improve the diagnostic procedures for our pets with cancer and inform preventative measures.”
Associate Professor Peter Bennett, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, emphasises the importance of having real time data to help in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of pet cancer.
“As a veterinary oncologist, I can truly appreciate how valuable cancer data is for pet care.
“Cancer data can help us diagnose cancer earlier and treat it better. We can also use cancer data to double check if treatments are working effectively.
“Our patients are our priority, and cancer data may help in providing the best treatment and care.”
Stay up to date on ACARCinom – subscribe to ACARCinom news, and follow on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
ACARCinom received co-investment (doi.org/10.47486/DP713) from the ARDC. The ARDC is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) to support national digital research infrastructure for Australian researchers.
