{"id":16338,"date":"2025-08-06T11:23:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T15:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.ncsu.edu\/administration\/?page_id=16338"},"modified":"2026-05-08T14:07:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T18:07:53","slug":"nc-state-iacuc-standard-for-assessing-tumor-burden-and-appropriate-time-for-euthanasia-in-animals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.ncsu.edu\/administration\/compliance\/research-compliance\/iacuc\/iacuc-procedures-and-guidance\/nc-state-iacuc-standard-for-assessing-tumor-burden-and-appropriate-time-for-euthanasia-in-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"NC State IACUC Standard for Assessing Tumor Burden and Appropriate Time for Euthanasia in Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
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Tumor rodent models are critically important experimental cancer model systems where the goal is to study the growth and behavior of the tumors. This can lead to the development or refinement of novel therapies. Three different general rodent tumor model systems are in common use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Studies should ideally end when animals show clinical signs of disease, though this may conflict with research goals. Using death or moribundity as an endpoint requires prior justification and IACUC approval. The following guidelines for tumor endpoints are provided and exceptions to these guidelines need to have justification and approval by the IACUC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Animals that are inoculated with an orthotopic or leukemia model should be monitored via a score system. An example of scoring systems is located on the Resources appendix at the bottom. Evaluate the animal in each of the categories and assign a score. The impact scoring system is quite subjective. Therefore, investigators should strive to have the same individual make and score the observations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clinical observations to notate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n