article · BMC Veterinary Research
This study provides an initial baseline for companion-animal cancer documentation in Algeria by combining two sources: a laboratory case series of 86 dog and cat tumour submissions and a survey of practicing veterinarians. In the laboratory records, mammary tumours were the most frequent at 50 percent, followed by skin and subcutaneous tumours at 23.3 percent, with 93 percent of all submitted tumours diagnosed as malignant. Practicing veterinarians similarly reported mammary and skin tumours as the most commonly observed cases, alongside canine transmissible venereal tumours. However, 90 percent of surveyed practitioners specialising in dogs and cats rated diagnostic resources as insufficient or completely unsatisfactory, with many reporting only moderate personal preparedness. These findings highlight clear gaps between clinical diagnoses and formal laboratory confirmation, pointing to the need for formal referral pathways, standardised recording, and dedicated animal cancer registration.
Algeria currently lacks a formal companion-animal cancer registry, limiting understanding of pet health trends. By documenting the prevalence of common tumours such as mammary and skin cancers alongside veterinary perspectives, this research draws attention to significant shortages in diagnostic resources. Addressing these gaps is crucial for improving animal healthcare, clinical oncology preparedness, and establishing reliable diagnostic pathways for veterinary practitioners.
The findings highlight a clear gap in diagnostic infrastructure that could inform commercial opportunities for veterinary diagnostic laboratories, specimen transport logistics, and digital pathology services. Private veterinary practices and diagnostic providers are the primary potential users. However, the research is an early-stage descriptive study, meaning that any commercialisation of diagnostic networks or digital cancer registries remains in the planning and development stage rather than near market readiness.
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Abstract Background Algeria has no documented national companion-animal cancer registry, and limited information is available on tumors encountered in veterinary practice or reaching histopathological confirmation. This dual-source descriptive study combined two independently analyzed components: a histopathology-based descriptive case series of diagnostic tumor submissions from dogs and cats, and a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of veterinarians practicing in Algeria. The first component characterized tumors reaching histopathological confirmation, whereas the second examined practitioner-reported tumor patterns, perceived diagnostic-resource availability, and self-reported preparedness. Results The histopathology-based case series comprised 86 tumor submissions from 81 animals accrued between March 2022 and March 2025. Mammary tumors were the largest category (43/86; 50.0%), followed by cutaneous/subcutaneous tumors (20/86; 23.3%); 80 tumors (93.0%) were classified as malignant. Among 162 questionnaire responses collected between October 2024 and May 2025, 111 respondents selected “dogs and cats” as their main animal group. Mammary tumors were reported by 109 respondents (98.2%), cutaneous/subcutaneous tumors by 79 (71.2%), and canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) by 54 (48.6%); multiple categories could be reported. The most frequent self-reported preparedness rating was “Moderately prepared” (52/111; 46.8%), while 99 of 110 respondents with valid data (90.0%) rated diagnostic resources as either “Insufficient” or “Not at all satisfactory.” Mammary and cutaneous/subcutaneous tumors ranked first and second in both sources, whereas the rankings of the remaining categories differed. Because the sources represented different populations, analytical units, denominators, and diagnostic pathways, the comparison was restricted to an exploratory descriptive assessment and was not interpreted as evidence of differences in population-level tumor occurrence. Conclusions This study provides an initial structured account of companion-animal tumor documentation in Algeria. The partial agreement between the two sources, together with unfavorable diagnostic-availability ratings, suggests potential gaps between clinical recognition, histopathological confirmation, and systematic recording. Standardized submission and coding procedures, improved specimen-transport and formal pathology-referral pathways, broader geographic participation, and progressive development of companion-animal cancer registration are needed to strengthen the national evidence base.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12917-026-05856-3
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