Treatment for lymphosarcoma may include one or more of the following:
Chemotherapy is the most commonly recommended treatment for lymphosarcoma. A cat is said to be in remission when clinical evidence of the cancer disappears after treatment. Achievement of remission by chemotherapy does not mean that the cat is cured, and cancer is likely to return if treatment is discontinued.
Several different drugs alone or in combination have been used during the past 30 years to treat lymphosarcoma.
The commonly used drugs include:
Prednisone(a cortisone-like drug)
Vincristine (Oncovin)
Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)
L-asparaginase (Elspar)
Depending upon the drug, treatment can be given by injection under the skin (subcutaneously), intravenously or by mouth (orally). Combinations of these drugs work better than a single drug.
A protocol is an outline of the treatment plan consisting of:
What drugs are used
Dosages of the drugs
Route of administration
How frequently treatments are administered
How long treatment is continued
Several different protocols have been used to treat lymphosarcoma and actual treatment may vary from veterinarian to veterinarian. In addition, adjustments to the protocol may be made depending upon the patient.
