A comparison of doxorubicin and COP for maintenance of remission in cats with lymphoma.

Thirty-eight cats with lymphoma were treated with vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone (COP). They were randomized at entry to receive maintenance chemotherapy consisting of either single-agent doxorubicin or continued COP therapy, starting on week 4 of treatment and continuing for 6 months or until relapse. Eighteen cats achieved complete clinical remission after COP induction chemotherapy. The median remission duration for 11 cats continuing to receive COP was 83 days, which was significantly shorter than for 7 cats that received doxorubicin (281 days). Thus, doxorubicin should be considered a well-tolerated and efficacious agent for the maintenance of remission in cats with lymphoma.