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Comparison of Virus-positive and Virus-negative Cases of Feline Leukemia and Lymphoma¹

Department of Microbiology, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 [D. P. F., S. M. C., M. E.], and Laboratory of Veterinary Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021 [W. D. H.]

One hundred eighty-four cases of feline leukemia and lymphoma diagnosed in Boston from 1972 through 1976 were investigated. Fifty-eight % of these cases were lymphoma, and 42% were leukemia. Sixty-seven % of the cats had positive fluorescent antibody tests for circulating feline leukemia virus. The rest (33%) were virus negative. Clinically and epidemiologically, the virus-positive and virus-negative cases were remarkably similar except for their age at diagnosis. Virus-negative cats tended to be older (mean age at diagnosis, 4.9 years) as compared to virus-positive cats (3.5 years). For 22 cases of leukemia and lymphoma diagnosed after the age of 8 years, 15 were virus negative. The minimum mean induction period (time from first positive virus test to diagnosis of cancer) for 19 cats that were virus positive and healthy at their first test was 16.7 months (range, 2 to 41 months).

¹ Supported by National Cancer Institute Grants CA-13885, CA-18216, CA-16599, CA-18488, and CA-08748; Contract CB-64001 from the National Cancer Institute; Grant DT-32 from the American Cancer Society; and a grant from the Cancer Research Institute.

² Scholar of the Leukemia Society of America.

³ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Microbiology, Harvard University School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Mass. 02115.

Received 4/10/79. Accepted 6/19/79.