If a biopsy has not been performed, it may be a good idea to do one so as to get the maximum information about the tumor (whether it is slow or fast growing, what type of lymphocytes are involved, etc.) as this information can help predict the response to chemotherapy. Approximately 15 percent of dogs with lymphoma (and 40 percent of dogs with T-cell lymphoma) have elevated blood calcium levels, so screening is important from the beginning. Some types of lymphoma produce a hormone called PTH-rp (parathyroid hormone related protein) that is capable of creating dangerous elevations in the blood calcium level (see hypercalcemia for more details.) A dog with an elevated blood calcium level tends to have a poorer prognosis. Obviously liver and kidney function will be relevant, but the blood calcium level is particularly worthy of scrutiny. We need to know how far the cancer has spread.īasic blood work and a urinalysis will be needed to assess the patient's ability to take the medications needed. We need to know what type of lymphocytes are involved. We need to know about the state of the patient's general health and if there are any medications that should not be considered. Most likely the answer is yes because there is a great deal more to know before treatment options can be determined. Obviously, the goal is to have as long a disease-free interval as possible. The disease-free interval also depends on patient factors (type of lymphoma, concurrent disease, prior treatment etc.). Different treatment protocols are associated with different disease-free intervals, meaning that the length of time your dog feels normal will vary depending on the protocol you choose. It is best to focus on a realistic outcome that is the longest possible survival with a good quality of life. Theoretically, yes, but practically speaking, no. Genetically predisposed breeds include the Basset hound, boxer, Golden retriever, and St. At this time, there is no way to know what caused lymphoma development in a given patient. Cause is not relevant to treatment furthermore, there is no way to verify cause. This is a natural part of grieving but it is important not to focus on cause unduly. Many people feel a need to find blame and latch onto the idea that a household cleaner or pesticide was the cause. It is important to realize that cancer is not contagious and that, as a pet owner, you should not feel that you somehow caused this or brought it on your pet. When these abnormal cells escape our natural mechanisms, cancer develops. Such cells arise in our bodies all the time and we have an assortment of natural mechanisms to destroy these cells before they get out of hand. There are important genetic factors as well.Ĭancer starts with one or a small group of cells that have gone wrong. There are many types of cancer and many possible causes of all those cancers (chemicals in our environment, especially cigarette smoke, sun exposure, assorted viruses and infections). Most of the time, we do not know how dogs or people get cancer. The spots indicate the location of peripheral lymph nodes in dogs. We will cover some commonly asked questions owners have at this point.
You have many general questions and you know that a decision regarding chemotherapy must be made. If this is your dog's situation, you probably need some time to absorb the cancer diagnosis. We know the average life expectancy for a patient with untreated lymphoma is about two months from the time of diagnosis. The next step is a blood panel and urinalysis to completely assess the patient's health, and one or more lymph nodes are aspirated or biopsied to confirm the diagnosis of lymphoma. Usually the dog has not been showing any signs of illness he simply has lumps.
#Tcel lymphosarcoma in dogs skin#
The veterinarian rapidly determines that these lumps are actually lymph nodes and that many (if not all) of the peripheral lymph nodes (those near the skin surface) are enlarged and firm. The typical canine lymphoma patient is a middle-aged dog brought to the veterinarian because one or more lumps have been found.
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