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| Most of the time, lymphoma appears as “swollen glands” (lymph nodes) that can be seen or felt under the neck, in front of the shoulders, or behind the knee. Occasionally, lymphoma can affect lymph nodes that are not visible or palpable from outside the body, such as those inside the chest or in the abdomen. Other symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, difficulty breathing and increased thirst or urinations. Cutaneous lymphosarcoma can cause redness or flakiness of the skin, ulceration (especially near the lips and on the footpads), itchiness or lumps in the skin. Clinical signs will vary depending on the stage of the disease, volume of tumor and anatomic location of the lymphoma. |
| Definition |
| Symptoms |
| Risk Factors |
| While we understand how lymphomas form, we still do not understand why. There is speculation that environmental factors such as exposure to pesticides (especially herbicide 2,3-D) or strong magnetic fields increase the incidence, but there is currently no strong proof of this. There is also some evidence of a possible genetic correlation, but further studies need to be performed to determine the exact risk factors involved in canine lymphoma. |
| Lymphoma is one of the most common cancers seen in dogs. Although there are breeds that appear to be at increased risk for this disease, lymphoma can affect any dog of any breed at any age. It accounts for 10-20% of all cancers in dogs. Lymphoma (lymphosarcoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) is a malignant cancer that involves the lymphoid system. In a healthy animal, the lymphoid system is an important part of the body's immune system defense against infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria. Lymphoid tissue normally is found in many different parts of the body including lymph nodes, liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract and skin. Lymphosarcoma is classified according to the location in the body in which the cancer begins. These include:
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| Lymphosarcoma occurs in middle-aged to older dogs. In fact, most affected dogs are between 5-9 years of age. Certain breeds of dogs have a higher than average risk of developing this disease and include Rottweilers, Scottish terriers, Golden retrievers, Basset hounds, and German shepherds. Males and females are affected equally. In dogs, there may be a genetic basis for this disease and, in certain breeds, some families several closely related animals have been affected. |
| Causes |
| Diagnosis |
The chemotherapy treatment usually consists of a combination of oral and injectable drugs given on a frequent basis. The exact treatment protocol will vary depending on the veterinarian and financial resources of the dog's family. Below are some common protocols available for treatment after the initial diagnosis of lymphoma. Multi-drug protocol : Treatment consists of the use of several chemotherapy drugs (prednisone, L-asparaginase [elspar], vincristine, cyclophosphamide [cytoxan] and doxorubicin [adriamycin]). Weekly chemotherapy treatments are given for approximately 8 weeks. The treatments are then spaced to every 2 weeks to complete a total of 6 months of treatment. The average survival time for patients with stage IIIa or IVa lymphoma treated with this protocol is 1 and 1/2 years. Doxorubicin alone : The patient is treated with a total of 5 treatments of doxorubicin at 3-week intervals. The average survival time with this approach is 10-11 months. COP: This protocol involves a combination of cyclophosphamide in tablet form, vincristine and prednisone. 4 weekly intravenous injections of vincristine are given, followed by injections at 3-week intervals to complete 6 months of treatment. Cyclophosphamide is given over 4 days every 3 weeks (4 days on; 17 days off). Prednisone is given daily for 6 months. The average survival time with this protocol is reported as 8-10 months. Prednisone alone : This medication is a steroid and can be given in pill form daily at home. The average survival time for patients with lymphoma treated with prednisone only is 60 days. |
| Treatment |
| if the patient is hypercalcemic, assess kidney function, and determine if the dog has normal neutrophil and platelet counts so that chemotherapy can safely be administered. Lymphoma can also be diagnosed with x-rays and ultrasound The exact tests performed will depend on the location of the tumor. Once a diagnosis of lymphoma has been established, it is necessary that the cancer be staged. Staging is the process by which the veterinarian determines to what extent the lymphoma has spread throughout the animal's body. The degree of spread affects the manner in which a dog is treated. Stage Definition Stage I Involvement of a solitary lymph node or lymphoid tissue in a single organ (i.e. nasal cavity) Stage II Several lymph nodes in the same general area involved Stage III All peripheral lymph nodes involved Stage IV Involvement of liver and/or spleen, and/or anterior mediastinum in the chest involved Stage V Involvement of bone marrow (some classifications consider cutaneous involvement in this stage) Substage a without systemic signs of disease (patient generally has no symptoms) Substage b with systemic signs of disease (patient does not feel well) |
| Prognosis |
| Some owners choose not to treat dogs that develop lymphoma. The life expectancy of these untreated dogs averages 4 to 6 weeks. Oral prednisone therapy may reduce the swellings and discomfort, but probably will not appreciably extend their life span. It must also be noted that oral prednisone treatment prior to chemotherapy is not recommended and may actually reduce the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. In dogs that do undergo one of the recommended chemotherapy protocols, life expectancy can be extended. Most dogs with lymphoma develop medium to high-grade lymphoma that is very responsive to chemotherapy. Greater than 75% of dogs with lymphoma are expected to achieve a complete remission with chemotherapy. The duration of the first remission is variable, depending on the chemotherapy protocol used, with median remission times varying from 6 months to 11 months. The second remission is more difficult to achieve, with approximately 40% of dogs with lymphoma achieving complete remission with a second course of chemotherapy. Less than 20% of dogs with lymphoma will achieve a third complete remission. Approximately 40-45% of dogs with lymphoma live one year with treatment. Less than 20% of dogs with lymphoma live 2 years with treatment. Eventually, the cancer will infiltrate an organ to such an extent that organ fails (often this is the bone marrow or the liver). The patient loses his/her appetite, vomits or gets diarrhea, weakens and dies. At some point the tumor becomes resistant to therapy and no further remissions can be obtained. However, if a dog tolerates chemotherapy (fortunately most dogs do) their quality of life can be quite good during the treatment period. Treatment for lymphoma in the dog is considered one of the more successful cancer treatments and can often be performed by a local veterinarian without the need to travel long distances to veterinary schools or specialty clinics. It helps to remember that one year can equate to almost 10% of a dog's expected life span, therefore, the increased life expectancy with lymphoma treatment is often well worth it. |
| Information and Inspiration when you need it most |
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Buddy lived longer with lymphoma than anyone thought possible. Sadly he died in February 2008. Read his story of courage and the protocol he used by clicking here. |
Read about Hailey's successful battle with Lymphosarcoma at http://www.haileybell.homestead.com/Ha ileysStory.html |
Recent research using Artemsinin on dogs with cancer, specifically lymphoma and bone cancer has shown promising preliminary results. Please see our Herbal page for more information. Could it be the cure for some dogs? We hope so! |
Read about Essiac Tea and why you should consider using it in your fight against cancer |
New York Times Article: Lawn Herbicide Called Cancer Risk for Dogs Dogs whose owners use a herbicide containing 2,4-D are up to twice as likely to develop lymphatic cancer, a finding that suggests that the plant-killing chemical may be a significant health risk. If your dog has lymphoma, stop treating your lawn immediately. |
A diet supplemented with arginine appears to increase survival time in dogs with lymphoma, a cancer that affects white blood cells. Dogs with this kind of cancer, similar to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in humans, are easily treated, but as with humans, their cancer tends to return. Half of the dogs received a special chow with the two supplements in it, and the other half ate chow with soybean oil added. The two chows were identical in nutritional value, and formulated to be equally tasty to the dogs. All the dogs were being treated with the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin every three weeks, and were living at home with their owners. Previous research has shown that some polyunsaturated fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, may help prevent the growth and spread of cancer tumors, and may help prevent cachexia -- the devastating weight loss and muscle wasting seen in some cancer patients despite adequate nutrition. Likewise, arginine supplements have been reported to improve immune responses, and might help the body fight cancer. The dogs were fed one of the chows twice a day during and after their cancer treatment. The researchers report that compared to the control dogs, those who ate the supplemented chow showed higher blood levels of two fatty acids called C20:5 and C22:6 that seem particularly effective in fighting cancer. Dogs with more of these fatty acids in their blood also tended to have more normal levels of lactic acid, which tends to accumulate in the blood when metabolism is disrupted in cancer patients. The dogs with higher levels of these two fatty acids survived longer than those with lower levels, and had longer remissions, periods of time before their disease came back. Dr. Mercola http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/ archive/2000/04/30/fish-oil-lyphoma.aspx |
| UPDATE: Washington State University to offer bone marrow transplants for dogs with cancer Michael Rollins, Vancouver Sun Published: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 SEATTLE -- Washington State University plans to start offering bone marrow tranplants for dogs with cancer. They won't be cheap, with cost at upwards of $20,000. The bone marrow or stem cell transplant -- a procedure that every year saves tens of thousands of human lives and won for the Seattle physician who pioneered it the 1990 Nobel Prize in medicine -- appears poised to come full circle and become more widely available to those who first made it all possible. "They helped us figure out how to help save ourselves, so this represents a big give-back to the canine species," said Dr. Jeffrey Bryan, a veterinary oncologist at WSU. Bryan is spearheading a project to soon launch what would be the world's first large-scale clinical transplant program for dogs. The program is expected to become available to treat dogs with lymphoma this summer. Bone marrow transplants had been done experimentally in dogs over the decades, Bryan said, and clinically for a few dogs by some pioneering private-practice veterinarians. However, the procedure has never before been routinely offered as a cancer therapy for the canine community, he said. |
| Several studies have linked residential electromagnetic fields (EMFs) with human cancers, especially those of the blood. A new study now suggests that these fields may pose a similar risk to pets John S. Reif and his coworkers at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins focused their study on 230 dogs hospitalized with cancer. These included 93 animals with canine lymphoma--a common blood cancer whose origins remain unknown. After characterizing the wiring in each pet's home, Reif's team measured, whenever possible, actual magnetic fields where the dog spent most of its time. Overhead power lines running along streets and up to homes constitute the biggest overall contributor to residential EMFs (SN: 8/21/93, p.124). And in this study, factors associated with those lines also showed the strongest link to lymphoma. They included high front-yard fields (more than 2 milligauss) or "open secondary" wires (that have been associated with very high fields). Compared to animals whose homes were fed by buried power lines, dogs exposed to these factors faced double the cancer risk--and it tripled if the animal spent 25 percent or more of its time outside. But the most powerful statistical association to the cancer occurred in those 10 dogs whose homes were located very near a large, "primary" power distribution line. After adjusting for potentially confounding variables, researchers found that the dogs had 13.4 times the lymphoma risk of animals from homes with buried power lines. |
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