Monday November 20 5:31 PM ET
Dog Study Suggests Hormones Linked to Bone Cancer


WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - A drop in sex hormones may increase the risk of
a type of bone cancer, according to results of a study conducted in purebred
rottweilers.

The highly malignant bone cancer, known as osteosarcoma, has noticeable
similarities in both humans and rottweilers, researchers at Purdue University
reported at a meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.

In a study of 745 purebred rottweilers, Dr. B. C. Beranek and colleagues from
the departments of veterinary clinical science and veterinary pathology found
that 15% of all the rottweilers dogs developed bone cancer.

However, the risk of bone cancer was 65% higher for castrated males and 34%
higher for spayed females. The risk of developing bone cancer was higher both
in females spayed at less than one year of age as well as males castrated
when they were less than a year old compared with rottweilers who were spayed
or neutered later.