Cancer is a leading cause of death in dogs - roughly 1 in 4 will be diagnosed in their lifetime - and most diagnostic tools only pick it up once disease is advanced enough to cause symptoms. Cancer Dx screens apparently healthy at-risk dogs for biomarkers specific to lymphoma and mast cell tumor, from the same blood draw used for routine wellness bloodwork, and helps support earlier investigation and intervention.

Introduce it as part of the bloodwork already planned for that visit. For example: "Because [pet] is in an age group / breed where cancer risk goes up, we're also going to screen this bloodwork for common cancers that can be caught before there's any sign something's wrong.” A positive screening result doesn't mean a diagnosis - it means a healthy-looking dog would benefit from further workup before anything changes clinically. A negative result is reassuring but, like any screening test, doesn't guarantee a dog won't develop cancer later. Framing it this way up front - as an early warning system, not a verdict - keeps the conversation calm and keeps screening in its proper place alongside the rest of the wellness exam.

Added to a qualifying profile that already includes a full chemistry panel and CBC, Cancer Dx costs as little as $15. It is more expensive as a standalone or add-on test.

Most profiles including at least a Chem 25 or 27 and CBC qualify for the most affordable pricing. Many profile options including Cancer Dx are available, and it can be added to custom profiles including a customer’s preferred diagnostic components. To discuss specific test codes, talk to your Veterinary Diagnostic Consultant.

The Cancer Dx Panel is primarily intended to complement existing oncology diagnostics as a screening offering, by adding capability to detect disease in healthy-appearing at-risk dogs. It is not intended to replace existing tools which are relevant once clinical signs are apparent. IDEXX recommends Cancer Dx at wellness visits for at-risk dogs.

The lymphoma test on Cancer Dx, which is available as a single-cancer test, is suitable for use in disease monitoring and as an aid in diagnosis, in addition to the primary screening use case for the panel as a whole. IDEXX will continue to seek claim expansions for future menu items as they are added to the panel.