Cancer in rodents: Does it tell us about cancer in humans?

Information obtained from animal models (mostly mice and rats) has contributed substantially to the development of treatments for human cancers. However, important interspecies differences have to be taken into account when considering the mechanisms of cancer development and extrapolating the results from mice to humans, Comparative studies of cancer in humans and animal models mostly focus on genetic factors. This review discusses the bio-epidemiological aspects of cancer manifestation in humans and rodents that have been underrepresented in the literature.