Lymphoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in dogs. It is a cancer of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell and part of the immune system. The immune system is throughout the body, and consequently lymphoma often involves multiple sites throughout the body. The most commonly affected sites are the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow, but almost any site in the body can be affected.
Before beginning any therapy, your veterinarian likely will recommend some staging diagnostic tests. The purpose of clinical staging is to determine the extent of the cancer, identify any unrelated diseases that might impact treatment decisions and assess overall health. Staging information guides treatment recommendations, helps to more accurately assess response to therapy and provides useful prognostic information.
The treatment for canine lymphoma typically involves chemotherapy; drugs that circulate throughout the body are most effective. Surgery and radiation therapy play very limited roles in treatment. The chemotherapy drugs are also used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in people. There are several different published protocols, and deciding which to use will depend on several factors: staging test results, clinician preference, and family-based factors (frequency of visits, length of protocol, cost). Your veterinarian likely...
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