My dog's swollen lymph nodes: Is "neoplastic process" cancer or benign?

Fine needle aspirates are just a screening tool. You are placing a very small gauge needle into a large lump of tissue so it is always possible that you are missing some cells that would be diagnostic. It is also possible to go through the mass and get cells that just surround it. An FNA can be helpful in screening but if it is not diagnostic, the next step is an actual biopsy or full removal of the mass with histopathology. I have seen you ask this question multiple times and I'm sorry but we are not going to be able to answer it without seeing the report. It sounds to me like he had reactive lymph nodes (lymphoid hyperplasia) and I would not be overly worried about it at this stage if he is doing better. If the lymph nodes swell up again then you should have one or both removed and the entire lymph node sent to the lab for a histopathology. That is the only way you are going to get an answer. This article may give you a better understanding. ( https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cancer/c_multi_lymphadenopathy )

FNAs involve inserting a needle do they can be somewhat traumatic. I imagine it has upset the lump and caused some inflammation. With inflammation there can be fluid build up which is likely what you are seeing in the neck. If he is in pain or the swelling gets worse have the vet check him over.

If it has come back after the initial course of treatment, I would see if your vet can perform a fine needle aspirate and send it out for cytology review with a pathologist. This will help determine if the lymph node in question is suspicious for lymphoma or not. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns. I am also available via consultation.

Not necessarily as other disease processes can cause lymph node swelling. Every case is different and some dogs have mild lymphadenoapthy at diagnosis and others have significant lymphadenopathy. In general however reactive lymphadenopathy is usually more mild. If lymphadenopathy is suspected it is important to rule out other causes such as systemic diseases (tick borne, fungal, etc.) especially in a young dog in certain parts of the country (or with a travel history), allergic skin disease, etc. Ultimately needle sampling of the lymph nodes is an initial step but will not always diagnose all cases. There are also different types of lymphoma with different presentations, prognoses, and treatment approach. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would recommend removal or at least a biopsy of the lymphnodes (where a little piece of the lymph node is removed). This can be done under geeneral anesthesia, which nowadays is very safe or, if your dog is very quiet, may be done under sedation and a local anesthesia (I would prefer the general anesthesia though). This could indeed be lymphoma or it could be reactive lymph nodes, swelling because they are filtering out bacteria and other material that the body does not deem healthy. Should it be lymphoma and you do not want chemotherapy , your dog can indeed be made comfortable with steroids. Rather than hoping and guessing whether it is lymphoma or not, the biopsy, whether done by taking the whole lymphnode or just part of it, will give you a diagnosis and then you can deal with the disease.

Hello, sorry to hear about Giuseppe. Because the lymph node has decreased in size with antibiotics alone and the fact that only a single lymph node is enlarged, this is less likely consistent with lymphoma. Lymphoma typically affects multiple nodes and does not respond to antibiotics. Occasionally, active lymph nodes may remain slightly enlarged for a few days, or if the infection is not being completely treated then the lymph node may remain big. The best way to confirm if this lymph node has lymphoma or not, would be to obtain cytology with a with a needle aspirate to have a pathologist examine the cells. Cytology is generally a non-invasive procedure and could be done by your veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I would await her biopsy results (preliminary cytology results should be available within 72hours) before embarking on such as radical diet change in a puppy as many 'cancer' diets are designed to starve the tumour of easily available energy (as well as being enriched with antioxidants etc) which is not necessarily an ideal diet for such a young puppy and tumours are quite rare although not impossible in this age group. In the rare event of a positive result. referral to a specialist oncologist would be recommended with such a young dog