Rare Mesothelioma Cancer Discovered in Quarter Horse

No one is immune to the effects of toxic asbestos fibers, the primary cause of mesothelioma cancer. Not even horses. Although mesothelioma is a rare cancer in humans, it is even more rare in animals, particularly horses that spend most of their time grazing outdoors. But it still happens. Both pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma cancer were identified during the autopsy of a 22-year-old gelding quarter horse that had spent much of its working life in equestrian tourism activities. Animals, an international peer-reviewed journal devoted to veterinary sciences, detailed the rare mesothelioma case report in its September issue. “Mesothelioma can affect different species, including dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, goats and horses. The onset in horses is very rare,” the authors wrote. “Ours is a rare case of mesothelioma in the abdominal and thoracic cavities.” Other Malignancies More Common in Horses   The horse was from the Lazio region of Italy that includes the capital city of Rome. The autopsy was conducted by doctors from the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari. According to an earlier necropsy study done by the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, malignancies occur in 8% of horses between the ages of 15 and 19, with an increase to 17% in horses aged 30 and above.  The most common tumors are squamous cell carcinoma, pituitary adenoma, melanoma, sarcomas and abdominal lipoma. Rarely, ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news