Spontaneous tumors in F344/DuCrj rats from 12 control groups of chronic and oncogenicity studies.

The types and incidences of spontaneous tumors in F344/DuCrj rats were examined in 960 males and 959 females served as the control groups of separate twelve 2-year chronic and oncogenicity studies carried out during a 1978-1983 period. The major tumors occurred at more than 5% incidence were leukemia (mononuclear cell), testicular interstitial cell tumor, preputial gland adenoma, pituitary anterior adenoma, thyroid C-cell adenoma, adrenal pheochromocytoma and subcutis fibroma for males, and leukemia, uterine endometrial polyp, pituitary anterior adenoma, thyroid C-cell adenoma and mammary gland adenoma/fibroadenoma in females. Analyses on age-related occurrence of tumors revealed that the incidences of most of the major tumors in males attained already to the plateau between 85 and 97 weeks of age while those in females showed a steep rise during the last interval of observation, 98 to 110 weeks of age. An intralaboratory heterogeneity in incidence was observed in the thyroid C-cell adenoma and the adrenal pheochromocytoma for males, and the anterior pituitary adenoma for females.