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VetVine Client Care
This question was asked in a past webinar on the topic of cancer:
Question:
How long can a dog live with lymphoma, which is in remission, after having a splenectomy to diagnose the cancer, and following limited chemo treatments which were discontinued due to apparent damage to the heart?
Answer by Jeffrey Bryan, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology):
This depends very much on what type of lymphoma it is. Aggressive lymphomas can have very short-lived responses to chemotherapy. Low-grade or indolent lymphomas can have survivals that measure in the years, sometimes without chemotherapy. A thorough biopsy diagnosis by a pathologist with interest in lymphomas can be very helpful.
Comment by another audience member:
Hi, I'd like to give a little hope for those clients and professionals faced with canine lymphoma (LSA). Quality of life is the ultimate goal, and some of us have been fortunate with treatment to get both quality and quantity well beyond the statistical averages.
There are many owners in a global canine LSA group whose dogs have lived 3 - 9+ years beyond diagnosis.
Just a sampling of what can happen with treatment, committed owners, communication and teamwork!