Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Doxorubicin chemo as rescue treatment for cats with lymphoma
By Oberthaler, Karen T et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2009·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Rescue therapy with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy for relapsing or refractory feline lymphoma: a retrospective study of 23 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 23 cats with lymphoma that didn't respond to previous treatments were given doxorubicin-based chemotherapy as a last resort. Out of these cats, 5 showed a positive response to the treatment, with 2 achieving complete remission for varying lengths of time. The study found that cats with small to medium cell lymphomas and those receiving other chemotherapy alongside doxorubicin were more likely to respond well. However, overall, doxorubicin was not considered an effective rescue option for feline lymphoma.
People also search for: cat lymphoma treatment options · doxorubicin for cats · feline chemotherapy success rates
Abstract
This study examined the efficacy of doxorubicin-based chemotherapy used for rescue therapy in refractory feline lymphoma. Records of 23 cats with lymphoma treated with chemotherapy who received doxorubicin for the first time in a rescue setting were reviewed. Seventeen (74%) of the 23 cats had only one treatment of doxorubicin. Five (22%) of the 23 cats had a positive response to doxorubicin and were given additional doses. The response to therapy in 4/5 of these responders could be assessed objectively, of which, two cats (9%) achieved partial remission (PR) and two cats (9%) achieved complete remission (CR). The two cats that achieved CR had differing response durations (6 weeks and greater than 47 months). Three of these five (60%) responders had also received concurrent other chemotherapy in addition to doxorubicin. Cell type and the use of concurrent chemotherapy were significant predictors of response. Cats with small-medium cell lymphomas (P=0.001) and cats that received concurrent chemotherapy with doxorubicin rescue (P=0.007) were more likely to respond favorably. This study suggests that doxorubicin-based chemotherapy is not an effective rescue protocol for feline lymphoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18974017/