Occurrence of mast cell tumors in intact and neutered dogs

Abstract

Mast cell tumors are the most common cutaneous tumors in dogs and their etiology remains incompletely understood. Concurrently, sterilization is one of the most frequently conducted surgical procedure on the reproductive system of dogs. Several studies have explored the potential link between the risk of development of mast cell tumors and sterilization. The purpose of this thesis was to offer a comprehensive overview about the occurrence of mast cell tumors in sterilized and intact dogs, and to analyze the results of the conducted studies, while giving an overview of their hypotheses, methodologies, and findings, as well as their limitations and the conclusions researchers have drawn from them.