Unfortunately, cancer in dogs, such as various lymphomas, is becoming more and more prevalent today. There are many different types and any one of them could happen to your pet. Treatment may vary with each case because there are many factors that could influence it. With each known type of lymphoma, specific line of treatment is used. Specific treatments can also vary according to the stage of the lymphoma.
There are a total of five stages of dog lymphoma.
In stage one, the cancer only affects one lymph node. In stage two, the cancer affects only one side of the diaphragm. In stage three, the lymph nodes are already enlarged. Stage four is characterized by enlargement of organs such as the liver and the spleen and stage five is when the cancer has already metastasized to the central nervous system as well as the other major organs.
You can see why these things could influence the treatment plan for your pet. Aside from the stage the cancer is in, the type of lymphoma is also highly influential for the treatment of your dog.
Here is an overview of the treatments for different types of lymphoma found in dogs:
1. Multi centric lymphoma – when diagnosed, treatment usually consists of systemic chemotherapy that includes prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. There are also other cocktail of chemicals that may be used in the treatment but the aforementioned are the standard ones. With chemotherapy, remission is likely to occur but in the event of recurrence, reinduction is done by using the same treatment combination that was successful during the initial treatment.
2. Alimentary lymphoma – this type can be treated with surgical resection coupled with combination chemotherapy. The resection can only be done in the event that the tumor is localized. Induction, maintenance and rescue protocols are all extremely important in this kind of lymphoma.
3. Mediastinal lymphoma – for this type of lymphoma, combination chemotherapy is also done, along with treatment focused on the relief from the chemical symptoms because this type usually makes it hard for the ill dog to breathe normally.
4. Cutaneous lymphoma – treatment can vary depending on the degree of severity of the lesions. In this type, surgical removal of the lesions may be done and radiation therapy has also been proven effective in controlling the illness for the long run. Combined chemotherapy can also be done with promising results. Usually, etritinate and retinoids are found to be extremely useful in treating t-cell cutaneous lymphoma.
5. Extranodal lymphoma – treatments include chemotherapy just like in the case of multi centric lymphoma.
6. CNS lymphoma – when it already has metastasized to the nervous system, it can only be treated with radiation or chemotherapy.
The prognosis for each type of lymphoma and each line of treatment vary. Some dogs respond better to certain treatments and remission can be successfully achieved. However, in some cases, especially when the lymphoma was discovered late, the prognosis will likely to be discouraging. For more information, contact a specialist so that proper diagnosis and treatment can be applied on your beloved dog. The key is to continue to educate yourself in order to learn more about cancer treatment for dogs so you can help the one you love.
There are a total of five stages of dog lymphoma.
In stage one, the cancer only affects one lymph node. In stage two, the cancer affects only one side of the diaphragm. In stage three, the lymph nodes are already enlarged. Stage four is characterized by enlargement of organs such as the liver and the spleen and stage five is when the cancer has already metastasized to the central nervous system as well as the other major organs.
You can see why these things could influence the treatment plan for your pet. Aside from the stage the cancer is in, the type of lymphoma is also highly influential for the treatment of your dog.
Here is an overview of the treatments for different types of lymphoma found in dogs:
1. Multi centric lymphoma – when diagnosed, treatment usually consists of systemic chemotherapy that includes prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. There are also other cocktail of chemicals that may be used in the treatment but the aforementioned are the standard ones. With chemotherapy, remission is likely to occur but in the event of recurrence, reinduction is done by using the same treatment combination that was successful during the initial treatment.
2. Alimentary lymphoma – this type can be treated with surgical resection coupled with combination chemotherapy. The resection can only be done in the event that the tumor is localized. Induction, maintenance and rescue protocols are all extremely important in this kind of lymphoma.
3. Mediastinal lymphoma – for this type of lymphoma, combination chemotherapy is also done, along with treatment focused on the relief from the chemical symptoms because this type usually makes it hard for the ill dog to breathe normally.
4. Cutaneous lymphoma – treatment can vary depending on the degree of severity of the lesions. In this type, surgical removal of the lesions may be done and radiation therapy has also been proven effective in controlling the illness for the long run. Combined chemotherapy can also be done with promising results. Usually, etritinate and retinoids are found to be extremely useful in treating t-cell cutaneous lymphoma.
5. Extranodal lymphoma – treatments include chemotherapy just like in the case of multi centric lymphoma.
6. CNS lymphoma – when it already has metastasized to the nervous system, it can only be treated with radiation or chemotherapy.
The prognosis for each type of lymphoma and each line of treatment vary. Some dogs respond better to certain treatments and remission can be successfully achieved. However, in some cases, especially when the lymphoma was discovered late, the prognosis will likely to be discouraging. For more information, contact a specialist so that proper diagnosis and treatment can be applied on your beloved dog. The key is to continue to educate yourself in order to learn more about cancer treatment for dogs so you can help the one you love.