Does chemo work for cats suffering from a malignant cancer of the lymphatic system (feline lymphoma) . Some cat caregivers will want to know and the answer according to a study and general internet research is YES but the chemo causes the cats to lose appetite called 'chemotherapy-induced anorexia'.
In the study 26 cats with confirmed high to intermediate grade lymphoma were treated for 12 weeks to a cycle of chemo drugs: l-asparaginase, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisolone.
In 46 per cent of the cases there was complete remission (CR). In 27 per cent of the cases there was partial remission (PR).
The average duration of CR was 394 days (about 1 year and 1 month) while for PR the remission lasted for 41 days.
Overall survival on average was for 78 days with a range of 9 days to 2230 days. Average (median) survival for CR patients was 454 days and for PR cats it was 82 days.
In terms of the affect of the toxicity of the drugs on the cats the most common was anorexia as mentioned.
In cats that achieve complete remission, maintenance-free chemotherapy may be adequate for securing long-term remission and survival.
Steps need to be taken to deal with the anorexia health issue referred to.
Study citation: Treatment of feline lymphoma using a 12-week, maintenance-free combination chemotherapy protocol in 26 cats
P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/vco.12082
--------------
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق
Your comments are always welcome.