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

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.