Losing a mastiff is never easy. Losing a mastiff to cancer, and lymphosarcoma in particular, can be devastating.
As the third most common form of cancer in canines, it affects a tremendous number of dogs annually. It occurs most frequently in dogs between the ages of 6 and 9 years old. There are, according to the University of Pennsylvania, 5 types of lymphosarcoma. These are:
The World Health Organization stages lymphoma by the extent of the disease:1. External Lymph Nodes
2. Gastrointestinal Tract
3. Mediastinal
4. Skin
5. Bone Marrow
It is considered a treatable form of cancer, and in 80% of the cases, response to chemotherapy is positive. For more information on Lymphosarcoma, contact the Oncology Department at the Vet School at the University of Pennsylvania. More technical information on the description of the disease can be found by searching the web. The Veterinary Information Service also offers a technical synopsis of the disease.Stage 1. limited two one node or organ
Stage 2. Involvement of many nodes in a region
Stage 3. General node involvement
Stage 4. Liver or spleen plus or minus stage 3
Stage 5. Metastasis to bone marrow with or without stages 1-4
In the early stages, lymphosarcoma, or lymphoma as it is sometimes called, does not seem to cause any discomfort or pain. Frequently it is undetected, or detected only by accident, until other signs such as weight loss, weakness, extreme swelling of the lymph nodes occur.
The success rate in treating lymphosarcoma depends on primarily on the tumor location. Once the other organs such as liver and spleen are involved, the possibility of any recovery diminishes dramatically.
One of the problems with lymphoma is that it can occur, at least the noticeable outward manifestations very quickly and by that time has progressed to a point where little can be done. Even with treatment, the life expectancy in best case scenario is 12-18 months and can cause gastric upset, vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia. Without treatment, life expectancy drops in many casess to a matter of weeks, depending on the stage and location of the tumors.
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