What is Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that can affect dogs of any age. It is estimated that it makes up about 24% of all canine cancers. Golden Retrievers, Saint Bernards, Boxers, Scottish Terriers, Basset Hounds, and Mastiffs tend to be more prone to canine lymphoma, but it can affect any breed. Dogs that are immunocompromised with other health conditions are also at higher risk of lymphoma.
Dogs with canine lymphoma usually present with ambiguous signs in the beginning. They may have decreased appetite, decreased energy, vomiting, and just seem “off” to the owner. Bloodwork is usually unremarkable and on the physical exam, there is usually at least one lymph node that is enlarged.
How To Diagnose Canine Lymphoma
Canine Lymphoma is a diagnosis that can be challenging. Lymphatic tissue is present in most tissues of the body. Lymphoma can hide anywhere, including the spleen and liver. Most of the time, when we suspect Lymphoma, one of the lymph nodes under the skin are enlarged. To definitively diagnose Lymphoma, we will aspirate one or more of the enlarged lymph nodes. These aspirates are sent to a pathologist for final diagnosis.
Types of Canine Lymphoma
There are two types of Canine Lymphoma. B-cell Lymphoma and T-cell Lymphoma. T-cell Lymphoma is much more difficult to treat and is more resistant to conventional therapy.
Further Testing..
After a diagnosis of lymphoma has been made, we will recommend staging to determine if the cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes and to determine what type of Lymphoma is present. Staging consists of additional testing to see what type of Lymphoma is present and if the cancer is spreading to other organs.
Testing:
1. A Flow Cytometry test is usually performed. This is a specialized test performed at a lab that will identify what population of cell is present, either a B-cell Lymphoma or T-cell Lymphoma.
2. Chest radiographs and abdominal ultrasound are usually performed. This allows us to see if the cancer has spread.
My Dog Is Diagnosed With Canine Lymphoma, What Now?
A diagnosis of cancer is scary and upsetting. Not everyone wants to put their pet through chemotherapy, radiation, etc. There are a lot of things to consider with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. We are extremely fortunate that we have amazing oncologists locally, so access to care is great. Cost is a significant factor. Chemotherapy can be expensive and is not curative. The goal of chemo is to buy time, with your pet as healthy as possible and having a good quality of life. Survival time with chemotherapy varies from four months to a year on average. Twenty-five percent of dogs using the CHOP protocol were alive at two years.
Many owners choose not to pursue chemotherapy and elect for palliative care which involves high doses of steroids. Survival time with palliative care is 1-3 months. Recently, two new drugs became available in the United States for the treatment of canine lymphoma.
My Story...
All of my life, I have loved beagles and hounds. They are some of my favorite breeds. My childhood dog was a beagle named Sugar, and I was fortunate to have her for 19 years, before she died of cancer. Alfie, my beloved coonhound, found us at a local rescue event, My Furry Valentine. He fit right into our house. He loved the doorbell, his couch and chasing critters in the backyard. He was a gentle and kind soul that just wanted to be near you.
On a cold evening in November of 2024, I noticed that his eyes were red and inflamed and he did not eat his dog food, which was highly abnormal. The next morning, Alfie went to East Hills Veterinary Clinic and we noticed that his lymph nodes were swollen. His nodes were aspirated, and he was diagnosed with Lymphoma. We consulted with our local oncologist and began chemo the next day. Alfie responded well to chemo. His lymph nodes were back to normal and Alfie was himself again. We visited our oncologist weekly, where Alfie always found the treat drawer, for several weeks until he completed six weeks of chemo. During his treatment, Alfie was acting normally and feeling great. After his treatment, he was in remission! He was still on steroids, but he was back to feeling great. His remission lasted four months, before his lymph nodes started to enlarge again. His cancer cells were back.
So, back to the oncologist we went. We tried a new drug cocktail, but that did not work as well. We started on a third drug and it worked. He was a trooper and did great with his infusions. He responded and went back into remission. Unfortunately, after two months, he began to have some breathing difficulties and his cancer was back again. After a discussion, we made the heartbreaking decision to let him go. We were able to spend an additional nine months with him. During that time, he had an amazing quality of life and was happy.
Cancer is scary and is a hard word to hear. If you ever hear those dreaded words, know that you are not alone, we are here to help.
References
Kaiser HE. Animal neoplasms: A systemic review. In: Kaiser HE, ed. Neoplasms: Comparative Pathology in Animals, Plants, and Man. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1981. Molten JE, Harvey JW. Tumors of lymphoid and hematopoietic tissue. In: Moulton JE, ed. Tumors in Domestic Animals. 3rd ed. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press; 1990. Weiden PL, Storb R, Kolb HJ, et al. Immune reactivity in dogs with spontaneous malignancy. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1974;53(4):1049-1056. Withrow and McEwen’s Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. In: W
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