Natural History of Adenocarcinoma of the Uterus in the Phipps Rabbit Colony2

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Abstract
An account of the natural history of adenocarcinoma of the uterus occurring in females of the 33-year-old Phipps rabbit colony is presented. Epidemiologic analysis is made of the distribution of cases in relation to age, breeding performance, and native resistance to tuberculosis. Retrospective analysis, based on study of necropsy records made between 1931 and 1961 on all members of the colony dying of any cause, revealed that age is a dominant factor in the development of adenocarcinoma of the uterus; no uterine tumors were observed in rabbits under 2 ½ years of age. Observations to establish current prevalence were made in July, 1961, from laparotomies on 12 females over 4 years of age which were followed for 3 years thereafter. During this period, 11 of the 12 animals developed cancer and 3 died of carcinomatosis. Also, beginning in July, 1961, other 2½-year-old females of the rabbit colony were examined at 6-month intervals for uterine cancer by laparotomy and biopsy. As new cohorts of females attained this age, they were added to the population under study. The possibility that an infectious agent of the uterus is involved in the pathogenesis of these tumors is discussed briefly. No statistically significant correlation was found between the frequency of the uterine cancer in these rabbits and their breeding history.

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