Like with Humans, Cancer Rates in Dogs Are Rising Due to Longer Lifespans
New York, NY – March 21, 2022 – Increased risk of cancer in dogs and humans is associated with longer lifespans according to a new study - Increased Risk of Cancer in Dogs and Humans: A consequence of recent extension of lifespan beyond evolutionary determined limitations. Published in the March issue of Aging AND Cancer, the paper points out that while cancer is not a major cause of death for most animals in the wild, it is a leading cause of death for our pet dogs (and cats) as well as for humans.
According to the authors, the major component of the increased risk of cancer seen in domestic dogs, and in humans, is due to breaking the life-expectancy barrier that was evolutionarily determined. Pet dogs, like us, are living substantially longer due to modern medicine, protection from predation, food availability, improved hygiene, and shelter. Evolutionarily dogs and humans didn’t use to live as long, so natural selection did not invest in mechanisms to prevent cancer (and aging in general). Simply put, dogs and humans are living longer than nature intended.
It is important to note that while cancer in old age is virtually inevitable, only 25-40 percent of all humans and dogs will develop cancer in their lifetime. Additionally, scientific breakthroughs for human cancers are saving lives. Key, for humans, has been early identification via screenings that have contributed to decreases in mortality. Extending this approach to dogs by developing testing to identify canine cancers as early as possible should have similar benefits. The authors highlight a few studies underway to improve detection and treatment of canine cancer and are optimistic that these results could benefit humans too.
Another consideration is that humans did not evolve to prevent cancers caused by factors such as those linked to smoking, alcohol, obesity, pollution, etc. and some of these factors (obesity, second-hand smoke, and pollution) could be contributing to increased cancer risk in domestic dogs as well.
“Cancer is a disease of aging and therefore most prevalent past middle age, and this goes for man’s best friend too,” said Dr. Samuel Waxman, CEO and Founder of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. “Research that prioritizes the links between aging and cancer will benefit both species and lead to better preventions and treatments.”
Aging AND Cancer is a relatively new open access journal from Wiley Publishing produced in affiliation with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. The most recent issue includes three additional papers:
- The critical function of metabolic reprogramming in cancer metastasis, Xie et al
- Immune checkpoint expression and relationships to anti-PD-L-1 immune checkpoint blockade cancer immunotherapy efficacy in aged versus young mice, Garcia et al
- DNA damage response inhibition-based combination therapies in cancer treatment: Recent advances and future directions, Chen et al.
About the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF):
The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation is an international organization dedicated to curing and preventing cancer. The Foundation is a pioneer in cancer research and its mission is to eradicate cancer by funding cutting-edge research that identifies and corrects abnormal gene function that causes cancer and develops minimally toxic treatments for patients. Through the Foundation’s collaborative group of world-class scientists, the Institute Without Walls, investigators share information and tools to speed the pace of cancer research. Since its inception in 1976, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation has awarded more than $100 million to support the work of more than 200 researchers across the globe. For more information, visit www.waxmancancer.org.
About Aging AND Cancer:
Aging AND Cancer is a relatively new open access journal from Wiley focused on understanding how the process of aging is a central component of cancer evolution and progression. The journal covers basic, translational and clinical findings that are of broad interest, investigating the mechanisms via which age-associated deterioration of the individual, from macromolecules to tissues and organs, promote the onset, progression and relapse of cancer, and impact treatment options and outcomes. This journal provides a forum for new results and ideas that improve our understanding for how old age influences many different facets of cancer, from incidence to its development and pathology to treatment outcomes to psycho-social aspects of living with cancer. The journal is published in affiliation with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. For more information, visit https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/26438909.
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Wylie Tene
Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation
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