Lymphoma Is One Of The Most Common Dog Cancers

The most commonly seen lymphoma in America is a type called Lymphosarcoma

. Don't worry too much about the exact name they put on the dog's disease though, as the information given here applies to all forms of lymphoma. And the treatments are essentially the same with all types of lymphoma. About 50% of dogs with lymphoma can be put into remission through the use of modern treatment methods. The "typical" canine lymphoma patient is a middle aged dog taken to the veterinarian because one or more lumps have been found.

Usually the dog has not been showing any signs of illness before this. Often times they are active, eating well and playing as usual. The first sign something is wrong is some swelling in the neck or perhaps something found in the blood labs during a normal checkup.

Lymphoma is a blood disorder, a cancer of the lymphatic system. The lymph system is an important part of the body's immune defense system. Lymphoma begins from errors that occur in the DNA of lymphocytes in either the lymph nodes or other lymphoid tissue, or else arises from genetic misinformation in the bone marrow where lymph cells and other blood cells are made.

Lymphoma is first and foremost an immune dysfunction disease. It is a failure of the body to recognize the aberrant cancer cells as invaders. In order for a dog to overcome this cancer, the dog's normal recognition response has to be triggered, to allow the dog's own system to fight the disease. Chemotherapy, and very occasionally some type of radiation therapy, are vital components to an effective treatment for lymphoma. But ultimately, the dogs own immune response is what will (hopefully) overcome the disease. It is crucial to address the dog's immune system as well as providing the chemotherapy recommended by the vet.

The average life expectancy for a dog with untreated lymphoma is only about 2 to 4 months from the time of diagnosis. But modern treatment can dramatically increase the odds of a remission, and in many cases, provide a long term cure. In Dogs which are otherwise healthy lymphoma is the type of cancer with one of the highest remission rates of any of the canine cancers.

We all want predictions... how long will my dog last before the disease wins out? Before you put too much stock in the answer, keep in mind statistics are only useful in a general way, but the only thing that really counts is THIS patient. No matter how much training and schooling a doctor gets, they still are not very good at predicting the future. So don't give up hope because the statistics don't look too good. If your dog survives this disease, that is a 100% success rate!

by: Kara Knapp

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