Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Principles of treatment for feline lymphoma.
- Journal:
- Clinical techniques in small animal practice
- Year:
- 2003
- Authors:
- Ettinger, Susan N
- Affiliation:
- Animal Medical Center · United States
Plain-English summary
Lymphoma is the most common type of cancer found in cats. Over the last 15 years, there have been changes in how often different types of lymphoma occur in cats, especially as fewer cats are infected with feline leukemia virus. Lymphoma can be classified into four main types: affecting the digestive system, the chest area, multiple lymph nodes, or other organs. Treatment usually involves chemotherapy, which is often more difficult for cats than for dogs, with lower success rates and shorter periods of improvement. However, cats generally experience less severe side effects from chemotherapy compared to dogs. While some factors can indicate a better chance of recovery, like being free of feline leukemia virus and feeling well at diagnosis, it's hard to predict how well a cat will respond to treatment before starting it.
Abstract
Lymphoma is the most commonly diagnosed neoplasm in cats. As feline leukemia virus antigenemia has decreased over the past 15 years, there has been a profound shift in the presence, signalment, and frequency of sites of feline lymphoma in North America. There is variation in anatomic classification systems, but most studies have divided lymphoma into four groups: alimentary, mediastinal, multicentric, or extranodal. Clinical signs and common differential diagnoses for each of the forms are described. Staging allows for evaluation of the extent of disease. As in the dog, lymphoma is a systemic disease in the cat, and chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for most forms. Exceptions are described. In contrast to canine lymphoma, feline lymphoma is generally more challenging and frustrating to treat than canine lymphoma. Response rates are lower, and remission duration is shorter. Fortunately, cats treated with chemotherapy tend to have less toxicity than dogs. Positive prognostic factors are feline leukemia virus-negative, clinically well at time of diagnosis, and response to therapy. Achieving a complete remission is prognostic for survival. Unfortunately, response cannot be predicted before treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12831069/