Canine lymphoma, also called lymphosarcoma, occurs predominately in middle-aged dogs. A cancer of the canine's lymph nodes, once diagnosed the dog rarely lives past two months without aggressive treatment, according to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Lymphoma occurs in all dogs but tends to affect German shepherds, golden retrievers, pit bulls, Labrador retrievers, poodles, beagles and basset hounds more than other breeds.
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Symptoms
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Dogs rarely show symptoms of lymphoma until seriously advanced. The owner often finds out his dog has cancer when he takes it to the veterinarian because of suspicious lumps under the dog's skin. The enlarged lymph node rarely causes the dog pain when palpitated. As the cancer advances the dog will often be lethargic, suffer loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea.
Diagnosis
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A veterinarian will perform a complete physical. He will look for lumps on the dog in other areas of the body. The veterinarian will do a biopsy by inserting a needle into the suspicious area and drawing out a few cells to determine if they are malignant. Once a malignancy is diagnosed, the veterinarian will work to determine if the lymphoma has spread to other lymph nodes, the liver, the spleen, the bone marrow or other areas of the body. The veterinarian may order a CT scan or an ultrasound.
Metastatic Behavior
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Lymphoma is highly metastatic, which means it spreads easily to any region of the body with lymph nodes. Once in the lymph tissue of a major organ, such as the liver, the cancer begins to infiltrate the area. Soon the organ will fail and death will result.
Treatment
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Chemotherapy offers the chance for the dog to gain a brief remission and extend its life. Extensive chemotherapy can gain remission in 60 to 90 percent of dogs, according to the Canine Lymphoma Guide. The remission will normally last nine to 12 months with two rounds of chemotherapy. The first round will usually keep the dog in remission for six to nine months before the cancer begins to spread again. The second round of chemotherapy gains a few more months. The third round of chemotherapy is rarely successful at gaining any type of extended remission.
Expectations
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The owner can expect the dog to receive weekly chemotherapy for eight weeks. After the extensive eight-week course, the drugs are administered every two weeks for six months, according to Canine Cancer. The chemotherapy drugs commonly used for the treatment of lymphoma are vincristine, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. The dog rarely suffers adverse effects during treatment. Other treatment protocols are available depending on the stage of lymphoma the dog is in at diagnosis.
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