Abstract

Cancer is an increasingly recognized but substantially undercharacterized disease in domestic animals in Libya. Unlike human oncology, veterinary cancer surveillance in Libya remains fragmented, and the absence of a national population-based veterinary cancer registry limits reliable estimates of cancer incidence, prevalence, geographic distribution, and outcomes. This review summarizes the available evidence on neoplasia in animals in Libya, focusing on major tumor types, potential environmental and infectious determinants, diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, and the relevance of veterinary oncology within a One Health framework. Published evidence demonstrates a diverse spectrum of benign and malignant neoplasms affecting companion animals and livestock, including mammary tumors, melanoma, fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, mastocytoma, histiocytoma, squamous cell carcinoma, feline injection-site sarcoma, ovarian granulosa cell tumor, canine transmissible venereal tumor, and ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Particularly important findings include transmissible venereal tumor in dogs, injection-site sarcoma in cats, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in local sheep, and ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma in slaughtered sheep. Potential environmental determinants, including ultraviolet radiation, pesticides, petroleum-related contaminants, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, warrant further investigation, although direct causal associations with animal cancer in Libya remain insufficiently established. Companion animals may also serve as sentinels of shared environmental exposures and provide valuable opportunities for comparative oncology research. Major gaps remain in epidemiological surveillance, molecular characterization, environmental risk assessment, treatment outcomes, and the systematic investigation of cancer in livestock and other animal species. Establishing a standardized national veterinary cancer registry, strengthening veterinary pathology and molecular diagnostic capacity, and integrating animal, environmental, and human health surveillance within a One Health framework are recommended. Such initiatives would improve understanding of the burden and determinants of animal cancer in Libya while contributing to animal health, environmental monitoring, comparative oncology, and potentially human cancer research.

Key words: Animal cancer; Libya; Neoplasia; One Health; Veterinary oncology.