Testicular Tumors and Environmental Pollution: A Comparative Oncoepidemiology Study in the Campania Region from 2020 to 2023
by
, , , , , , , and
Evaristo Di Napoli
1,*
,
Davide De Biase
2,
Barbara degli Uberti
3,
Maria Dimatteo
3,
Loredana Baldi
3,
Stefania Cavallo
3,
Guido Rosato
4,
Daniela Izzillo
4,
Giuseppe Piegari
1
,
Valeria Russo
1,
Sabrina Rossetti
5,
Francesca Bruzzese
6,
Chiara Palmieri
7
,
Alfredo Budillon
8
and
Orlando Paciello
1
1
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80137 Naples, Italy
2
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
3
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, Italy
4
ASL Napoli 1 Centro-CRIUV Region Campania, 80145 Naples, Italy
5
Uro-Gynecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori—IRCCS—Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy
6
Experimental Animal Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori—IRCCS—Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy
7
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
8
Scientific Directorate, Istituto Nazionale Tumori—IRCCS—Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(8), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12080695
Submission received: 9 June 2025
/
Revised: 15 July 2025
/
Accepted: 23 July 2025
/
Published: 24 July 2025
Simple Summary
The Global Cancer Observatory (GCO) of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has reported a progressive global increase in cancer cases. The same trend is reported among pets, with more than 4.2 million cancer diagnoses in dogs annually. Similar causes or predisposing factors influence cancer development in both humans and animals. Dogs and cats develop tumors with morphological and biological characteristics that closely resemble human cancers, making them valuable translational models for human cancer therapy and sentinels of environmental exposure to carcinogens. Extrapolating veterinary cancer data can provide important information for a comparative approach to oncology and One Health. In this study, we analyzed cases of testicular tumors in humans and dogs, as well as environmental data from cities with testicular tumor occurrences. In these areas, severe contamination of soil and water was recorded. The analysis of oncological and environmental data suggests a strong correlation between the frequency of testicular tumors and the presence of environmental pollutants. These data highlight the potential of comparing cancer frequency and survival patterns between human and animal populations in an area or region over time for determining potential environmental triggers.
Abstract
A comparative analysis of testicular tumors in dogs and humans highlights notable similarities in cancer behavior, particularly regarding environmental influences. The ubiquitous distribution of endocrine disruptors in industrialized countries and their effects are strongly linked to the development of testicular cancers. This study examined 221 and 174 cases of testicular tumor in dogs and humans, respectively, from the Campania Animal Cancer Registry and the database of the National Cancer Institute “Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS”, between 2020 and 2023. These data were integrated with environmental data from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security website and the Campania Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (ARPAC). The areas with the highest frequency of testicular tumors in both species were the municipalities of Napoli, Salerno, and Caserta, and their corresponding provinces. The same locations experienced severe contamination of soil and water by environmental pollutants, probably correlated to testicular tumors. Although the molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood, our data suggest a strong link between the frequency of testicular tumors in humans and dogs and high concentrations of environmental pollutants in the reported locations. These findings emphasize the value of dogs as a potential animal model for studying human health and the effect of environmental factors on cancer development.
