Mammary neoplasia in a closed beagle colony.

The incidence rate of mammary neoplasia in a large colony of beagles and the relationship to internal skeletal and/or liver radiation, age, relatively late ovariectomy (4 years and older), endometritis, parity status, and adrenal weight were examined. Of these various factors, age was the only condition that was clearly correlated with changes in the mammary tumor incidence. The rate became significant at approximately eight years of age and increased progressively throughout the older age classes. Among the female dogs, the incidence of mammary cancer was higher than that of any other form of spontaneous malignancy.