My dog has cancer. What are the treatment options and survival rates?

I'm sorry to hear that Daisy received this diagnosis. There are certainly risks and benefits to both options with respect to side effects, life span and cost. Side effects of prednisone in the short term can cause excessive drinking and urination. Some animals with underlying heart disease can go into congestive heart failure and other animals can develop diabetes as a result of the high doses of corticosteroids given in these situations. Around 40% of dogs can achieve remission for 4-6 weeks with prednisone alone, but this is certainly based upon an individual's response to medication and if any metastatic (spread) of disease is present. Obviously, this treatment is much less expensive, but a much shorter survival time is expected. Daisy's chemotherapy protocol is based on whether she has B cell or T cell lymphoma and if any metastatic disease is present. As a generalized statement, lymphoma responds to chemotherapy better than most cancers. Oncologists strive to administer chemotherapeutic drugs at doses that will kill cancerous cells while avoiding as many side effects as possible. The side effects possible vary with different chemotherapeutic drugs. In short, there is no right or wrong choice. You need to evaluate both options to determine your comfort level. If you haven't already done so, consider a consultation with a veterinary oncologist for more information. I hope this helps!

Poor Millie. Chemo is an option but you will need to have access to a veterinary oncologist. I would talk to your vet about referring you to an oncologist if you have one in your area. If not, the best option would be to start her on steroids. Steroids isn't a cure but it can help improve her symptoms/clinical signs. It will help make her have a good quality of life during her time left. I hope this helps!

In my experience lymphoma is a cancer that responds well to chemotherapy. Generally the lymph nodes shrink quickly and the dogs quality of life improves while in remission. Due to your dog's age and stage of cancer you may not get a long period of remission but Fei Fei should feel well during that time. So if you are seeing improvement in his clinical signs I would continue the recommended chemotherapy protocol. Remember to enjoy everyday with Fei Fei. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to get answers to your veterinary questions.

First off, I'm sorry that Roxy has lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes)! Yes, your vet is correct that this treatment protocol can give her more time with you. Each dog responds differently to the treatment, but with chemotherapy, the median survival time is 6-12 months. Given I can't see her in person, I can't say for certain how long she is survive, but I do recommend following your vet's recommendations to increase your time with her. Again, I'm sorry about her diagnosis :-(

I am so very sorry to hear about Lucy. It is always heartbreaking to get this news. If you cannot afford chemotherapy I would discuss the possibility of treating with just prednisone (a steroid) alone. This can provide temporary improvement in some pets and is not expensive. As far as how long she has left, it really can vary by dog. I have seen some decline very rapidly after diagnosis, within a week or two. That is the more rare case. Others on prednisone may live for another several months, and occasionally we will have one live 6 months or longer. The average is about 2 months. You can read more about the disease at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=575

Hello, Im so sorry to hear about Nemo. There are various types of lymphoma that have different degree of aggressiveness. Although steroids is one form of treatment, there are multiple other chemotherapy agents that could increase his life expectancy. With steroids alone however, expect survival time is about 1-3 months depending on the type of lymphoma. Additional chemotherapy can increase survival time up to a year. If you're interested in chemotherapy for Nemo, have your veterinarian consult with or refer Nemo to see an oncologist. He may need additional testing to determine the type of lymphoma he has and offer you a better informed prognosis for him. Hope this helps and best of luck.

To say it is Lymphoma it would have to be one of her lymph nodes. Typically when it is lymphoma more then one lymph node will be enlarged. If the lymph node is what is getting larger it is not always lymphoma. It can be from an infection draining, it can be viral or it can even be a tick borne disease causing the increase in the size. I recommend having a veterinarian evaluate Jamber and have them see if it is a lymph node and if so typically an aspirate is recommended and a tick panel to rule out lymphoma and tick borne diseases. If they do find lymphoma I would recommend at least a consult with a veterinary oncologist. They will be able to give you the most up to date information on different Chemotherapy options and see if this is the best option for Jamber and your family. If this is is something as a family you decided not to pursue then there is prednisone which they can put Jamber on. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.