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ETIOLOGICAL AGENTS OF TUMORS IN

ANIMALS
Tumor or cancer is not a new disease, considerable progress has
been made in understanding the spread and development of
cancer or tumor in humans much of this knowledge have been
used by us veterinarians in diagnosis and treatment of it. But
unfourtunately , we veterinarians know much less about some
specific cancers in animals due to much less research has been
done on malignancies in animals.
Based on research on humans and animals ,we know that cancer
is a complex process that has been triggred by many causes
(etiologies) e.g. hereditary ,environmental and nutritional factors.
Here are some etiological agents of tumor in animals in brief-
CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL and BIOLOGICAL agent that has potential
to cause cancer or tumor is called as CARCINOGENS
CLASSIFICATION OF CARCINOGENS
1. PHYSICAL AGENTS
 Trauma
Due to very serious injury to the body , the organs of
the body get damaged while recovering from the
traumatic stage some cells of body grows
abnormally showing neoplasia.
(a) e.g. osteo sarcoma in dogs at old fracture
sites (mostly diaphyseal but sometime
metaphyseal in origin)
(b) Thermal damage to skin and resultant scar
tissue may sometime become the vulnerable
site for neoplastic transformation.
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 Chronic Inflammations
(a) Causal and functional relationship between
chronic inflammations is widely recognised.
(b) Some of the cellular and molecular
mechanisms via which there is alterations in
the DNA of cells causing carcinogenic
transformations.
(c) E.g. chronic inflammatory bowel diseases
(chrone’s disease or ulcerative colitis),
osephagitis, chronic gastric ulcers.

2. CHEMICAL AGENTS
These chemical agents have been devided into many groups
on basis of modes of action.

 Direct acting agents

These are weak carcinogens does not need
activation
(a) Alkylating agents
These compound directly add an alkyl group to
the DNA sequence causing carcinogenic
transformations.
e.g. Beta propio-lactone, dimethyl sulphate,
diepoxybutane.
(b) Acylating agents
These compounds carry out mutagenic reaction
and carry out carcinogenic transformation in cells

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e.g. acetyl-imidazole, dimethyl carbamyl

chloride , diethylcarbamyl chloride.

 Agents requiring metabolic activation

They are called as procarcinogens. As metabolised
form the proximate and ultimate carcinogen.
(a) Polycyclic and heterocyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon
e.g. benzathtacene, benzopyrine,
dibenzathracene.

(b) aromatic amines, amides and azo dyes

e.g. benzidine, 2-napthylamine,2-
acetylaminoflorene.
3. RADIATIONS.
These form of high energy radiation can cause thermal
damage and also alteration in the DNA sequence causing
carcinogenic transformations.

 Ionising radiations

(a) Electromagnetic rays – X-RAY, Gamma ray

etc.
(b) Radioactive particulates-alpha and beta
particles , protons, neutrons etc.
(c) These high energy radiations can cause
carcinogenic transformations by altering DNA
sequences
More susceptible are X-ray lab worker and
miners.

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People and animals living near areas of

previous nuclear hazards.

 Non- Ionising radiations

(a) Ultraviolet rays

These are the rays produced from the sun and
some highly heated materials ,out of all the UV
rays UV-B is oncogenic in nature and has
potential carcinogen
(b) UV-B other than mutation can cause several
other attributes-
 Inhibition of cell division
 Inactivation of some enzymes
 Stimulation of suppressor T cells
 And many others

4. BIOLOGICAL AGENTS
(a) Some viruses and parasites are carcinogenic
e.g. Marek disease Virus , retrovirus ,
termatodes , flukes, herpesvirus, polymaviruses
etc.
(b) excessive secretion of some hormones and
growth factors. (tumor growth factors)

5. Age
With advancement of age in pet animals (dogs, Cats and
mice) it has seen that there is seen a frequency of
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cancers. It is supposed to be caused by weakening of

immune system and decrease in body’s ability to control
mutations and malignancies
6. Family history and heridetary factors
In recent time studies it has seen that some breeds of
animal are more susceptible to cancer than others for
example. retrievers and rottweliers than other breeds
of dogs. This shows that genetic characteristics
contribute to higher rates of cancer in some animals .

ANOTHER KIND OF CLASSIFICATION OF CARCINOGENS CAN

BE DONE BY THESE WAY ALSO
They belong to THREE catagories:-

CARCINOGENS

ONCOGENIC TUMOR VIRUSES

TUMOR
TRANSFORMERS
PROMOTERS These are some
They are the agents or
They promote viruses which on
factors that bring out
proliferations of the cells infections can
change in genetic
material making that cell which have undergone carryout oncogenic
cancerous.They are carcinogenic transformations
further two types :- transformations.
e.g. retrovirus ,
 Radiations e.g. some hormones and
Marek disease virus
 chemicals growth factors (tumor
growth factors)
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HENCE, FROM THE ABOVE MENTION WAYS WE CAN ENLIST

THE ETIOLOGICAL AGENTS OF TUMORS IN ANIMALS

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