The odds of neoplasia in dogs with and without diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Increased risk of neoplasia in humans with diabetes mellitus (DM) is well documented. It is unknown if dogs with DM have increased risk of neoplasia. Objective: Determine if dogs with DM have an overall increased risk of neoplasia and risk for specific forms of neoplasia compared to dogs without DM. Animals: Seven hundred dogs with DM and 700 breed, age, and sex-matched dogs without DM, examined during the same years. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Odds ratios (OR), corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI), and P-values were calculated using conditional logistic regression to determine if dogs with DM had increased odds of developing neoplasia compared to dogs without DM. Results: The overall odds of developing neoplasia were not significantly different in dogs with and without DM. However, dogs with DM had significantly higher odds of developing an adrenal mass (OR, 4; 95% CI, 1.1-14.2; P =.03) compared to dogs without DM. The odds of developing a splenic mass in dogs with DM (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.99-1.39) were increased compared to dogs without DM, but this difference was not significant (P =.07). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Dogs with DM may be at increased risk for adrenal neoplasia. Awareness of this risk can facilitate early diagnosis of this life-threatening comorbidity. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.