Spontaneous colonic adenocarcinoma in marmosets.

We find that colonic adenocarcinoma, which is an extremely rare neoplasm of all animals except man and carcinogen-treated rodents, occurs spontaneously in some marmosets. The cotton-topped Saguinus oedipus oedipus is particularly prone to develop it, but we have found it also at necropsy in Callimico goeldii (Goeldi's marmoset). Numerous metastases to regional lymph nodes develop. The cancers arise de novo in the mucosa and early invade the submucosa and lymphatic apparatus and paracolonic lymph nodes. These findings and the continuing occurrence of this cancer in our colony suggests that the marmoset may be the long-sought primate model for experimental intestinal carcinogenesis.