Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Best rescue chemotherapy for dogs with resistant B cell lymphoma
By Cannon, Claire Marie & Bennett, Peter·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2026·Melbourne Veterinary School, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Rescue Protocols for Canine Non-Indolent B Cell Lymphoma: A Systematic Review.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with non-indolent B cell lymphoma, a type of cancer affecting the lymphatic system, often responds well to standard chemotherapy but may eventually stop responding. In cases where the initial treatment fails, veterinarians may try different rescue chemotherapy protocols, but it's unclear which one works best. Unfortunately, a recent review found no clear answers on the most effective rescue treatments for these dogs. If your dog has lymphoma and isn't responding to treatment, it's important to discuss alternative options with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog lymphoma treatment options · rescue chemotherapy for dogs · canine cancer treatment effectiveness
Abstract
Canine lymphoma is a heterogenous group of diseases. The most common subtype is diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), though definitive diagnosis beyond non-indolent = multicentric B cell lymphoma is not often achieved in clinical practice as it requires histopathology. Most dogs respond well to standard-of-care multiagent chemotherapy (CHOP) but relapse and eventual CHOP-resistance is likely. Less commonly there is a lack of complete response to initial CHOP treatment. CHOP-resistant cases are treated with rescue chemotherapy protocols, of which many are published, but the most effective is unknown. In this systematic review we aimed to determine the most effective rescue chemotherapy protocol for dogs with multicentric non-indolent B cell lymphoma resistant to initial chemotherapy with a CHOP-based protocol. After initial screening, 65 full-text articles were reviewed. However, outcomes for the population of interest could not be identified in any, leaving our research question unanswered. Future publications of rescue treatment for canine lymphoma should report outcomes separately for groups of dogs where disease characteristics and prior treatment may affect outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41656180/