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A gastric lymphoid tumor with involvement of regional lymph nodes and spleen was diagnosed in an 8-year-old crossbreed male dog with a 6-month history of gastrointestinal disease. Despite surgical excision and palliative therapy (prednisolone and cimetidine), the dog was euthanized due to worsening of clinical signs. At necropsy, multiple white, solid, nodular, infiltrative masses were observed in the stomach, duodenum, spleen, liver, and lungs in association with generalized lymph node enlargement. Cytology, histology, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy revealed that the neoplastic cell population was composed of B lymphocytes that contained variable amounts of round periodic acid-Schiff-positive cytoplasmic globules consistent with Russell bodies. The tumor most likely represented a variant of B-cell neoplasia with extensive Mott cell differentiation.

Naturally occurring tumours in domestic animals have been recognized as an interesting opportunity for comparative oncology (MacEwen, 1990; Vail & MacEwen, 2000). Cancer is the second most frequent cause of death in humans and the first one in dogs and cats (Jemal et al. 2003). The age-adjusted overall cancer incidence per 100000 individuals per year is comparable in humans and domestic animals, being approximately 300 in humans, 381 in dogs and 264 in cats (Vail & MacEwen, 2000). When analysing the incidence by site, breast cancer is the most frequent (32%) in women, the first of all neoplasia (52%) occurring in bitches and the third (17%) in queens after lymphohaemopoietic and skin tumours (Hayes et al. 1981; Hayes & Mooney, 1985; MacEwen, 1990; MacEwen & Withrow, 1996; Jemal et al. 2003). Several other aspects contribute to the value of domestic animals as models for human cancers (MacEwen, 1990; Vail & MacEwen, 2000). Tumours occur spontaneously in companion animals that share a similar environment with humans and therefore might be exposed to similar risk factors. The high incidence of some tumour types offers large population samples. The shorter overall lifespan of domestic animals associated with a more rapid progression of cancer allows adequate comparison of response time with humans. Biological, anatomical, histopathological, genetic, and molecular similarities between some animal and human tumours are also well established (Hansen & Khanna, 2004). Finally, testing novel therapies is more ethically acceptable when treating spontaneous diseases in companion animals rather than experimentally induced pathologies in animal models. At the same time, there is an increasing interest of owners towards the use of the most advanced therapeutic tools for companion animals despite the higher economic costs associated with these therapies.