Scottish terriers which exercise on lawns and gardens treated
with herbicide have an increased risk of bladder cancer.
A team of veterinary researchers at Purdue University, West
Lafayette, Indiana in the United States has found an association between the
risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish terriers
and the dogs’ exposure to chemicals used for treating lawns.
The study was based on a survey of dog owners whose pets had
recently contracted the disease and may be useful in helping physicians pinpoint
genes in humans which signal that someone is susceptible to bladder cancer.
‘The risk of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) was found to
be between four and seven times more likely in exposed animals,’ said Lawrence
Glickman, professor of epidemiology and environmental medicine at the
university’s school of veterinary medicine.
According to the National Cancer Institute, about 38,000 men
and 15,000 women are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year. Only about 30% of
human bladder cancers develop from known causes. Scottish terriers have a
history of developing bladder cancer far more frequently than other breeds, so
the researchers decided to examine the dogs’ diet, lifestyle and environmental
exposures for a possible link with the disease.
Chad Boutin, Purdue News Service, 19 April , 2004, http://news.uns.purdue.edu
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 64, June 2004, page 15]