What’s New in Canine Lymphoma
Everyday helpful information, whether you treat or refer your canine lymphoma cases.
Dr. Ettinger says B-cell lymphoma is most common in breeds like Doberman pinschers. Where are we with the current state of canine oncology treatment? At a recent Fetch Conference, Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM (oncology), offered veterinarians some answers to that question.
First, Dr. Ettinger discussed longevity associated with treatment as indicated by clinical remission. Often, she says, owners are afraid to initiate cancer treatment because they don’t want to “poison” their dogs. She reiterates to these clients that dogs don’t get sick from chemotherapy-they get sick from cancer. While 80% of dogs do have side effects from treatment, treated dogs live significantly longer than dogs without treatment. Lymphoma treatment improves an animal’s survival time and quality of life.
Let’s review the basics.
As a refresher, here are a few facts about lymphoma:
- 10% to 25% of tumors in dogs are lymphoma.
- 80% of lymphoma cases in dogs are the multicentric form.
- Most dogs with lymphoma (60-80%) are asymptomatic.
- B-cell versus T-cell lymphoma is an important predictor of prognosis (see “Know your phenotype” below).
Pet owners all want to know what caused their dog’s cancer, Dr. Ettinger says. And the cause is multifactorial. Environmental causes, previous immunosuppression and genetics are all involved, but no direct cause has been established to date.
Here are some characteristics of multicentric lymphoma:
- It’s the predominant cancer in general practice.
- It has a rapid onset.
- It’s most commonly node-based and also involves organs.
- Patients often feel well at the time of diagnosis.
- It’s similar to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in people.
