Diagnostic evaluation and treatment recommendations for dogs with substage‐a high‐grade multicentric lymphoma: results of a survey of veterinarians

Abstract

The goal of this study was to survey veterinarians regarding their current initial diagnostic and treatment recommendations for dogs with substage-a high-grade multicentric lymphoma. A written survey was conducted at the 2009 Veterinary Cancer Society conference asking veterinarians to provide demographic information, initial staging diagnostics and treatment recommendations for canine lymphoma. The most commonly recommended staging diagnostics were complete blood count (100%), chemistry panel (100%), urinalysis (85%), lymph node cytology (88%), thoracic radiographs (84%), immunophenotyping (76%) and abdominal ultrasound (75%). The most commonly used first-line B-cell protocols combined the drugs L-asparaginase, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (L-CHOP, 51%). CHOP (30%) and other CHOP-based protocols (12%) were used as well. Thirty-one percent of responders treated B- and T-cell lymphomas differently. Protocol lengths varied from ≤ 16 weeks to >2 years. Current staging and treatment recommendations for canine lymphoma are varied. Efforts to standardize recommendations should be considered.

Autologous Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Dogs with T‐Cell Lymphoma

“…In addition, the use of cranial and caudal half‐body irradiation in conjunction with chemotherapy has been described for the treatment of both B‐ and T‐cell LSA 6, 7. In a recent study, 31% of veterinarians treated dogs with TCL using alternative front‐line protocols by including lomustine, procarbazine, and mechlorethamine while discontinuing the use of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide 8. However, despite these different treatment regimens, complete remission rates and overall survival have remained relatively unchanged over the last decade 9…”

Cytodiagnostics of canine lymphomas – possibilities and limitations

“…In canine oncology it is especially valuable for diagnosing the most common subtypes of lymphomas (Fournel-Fleury et al 1997a, Fournel-Fleury et al 2002, Comazzi et al 2014. Recently, many authors have recommended using cytology as a sufficient diagnostic method for canine lymphomas, especially if supported by immunocytochemistry and/or flow cytometry (Messic 2008, Regan et al 2012, Martini et al 2013, Comazzi et al 2014, Curran and Thamm 2015, Fernandes et al 2015, Jankowska et al 2015. The great advantage of this method is the possibility of performing immunocytochemical staining.…”

“…Finally, the vast majority of canine lymphoma subtypes belong to 4-5 categories characterized by a typical cytological picture; if necessary additional immunocytochemistry with anti-CD3 and anti-CD79α antibodies allows to any doubts to be dispelled. This especially applies to the high grade diffuse B cell lymphomas (centroblastic type), T zone/clear cell lym-phoma, marginal zone lymphoma/medium-sized macronucleolated lymphoma, high grade peripheral T cell lymphomas, and lymphoblastic lymphomas , Regan et al 2012, Comazzi et al 2014.…”

“…Immunocytochemistry is easy to perform, and the need to collect a few more smears of good quality and increased cost are the only shortcomings of this diagnostic method. Since the immunophenotype of neoplastic cells influences both treatment protocol and prognosis, immunophenotyping is recommended as an obligatory diagnostic method during characterization of canine patients with lymphoma by veterinary oncologists in the USA (Regan et al 2012). ICC using other antibodies (CD4, CD8, CD21, CD45 and others) allows for precise subtyping of lymphoma cells and thus confirmation of less common or unusual types of tumors (Dzimira 2007, Martini et al 2013, Pawlak et al 2014, Fernandes et al 2015.…”

“…Moreover, in the USA in routine veterinary practice, the definitive diagnosis of lymphoma is based on the results of histopathology only in 28% of cases. The vast majority of veterinary oncologists (88% of responders) tend to introduce anticancer chemotherapy on the basis of the cytological examination and immunophenotyping, and they consider this practice recommendable (Regan et al 2012).…”