Dr. Becky Marks

Timberland Animal Clinic

A Serious "Lump"

There are many good things about practicing medicine. I love greeting clients with a smile on their face as they show off their
new puppy or kitten. Later on the animal may get into an accident and I can be there for the treatment and recovery.
Unfortunately, I face more difficult services. Animals can have cancer. One type of cancer we see in dogs is called Malignant
Lymphoma.

Malignant Lymphoma (ML) is a form of cancer that affects the immune system. The immune system of the body helps us fight
off infection and remove abnormal cells that the body produces. It is believed we all daily produce cancer cells. If your
immune system is functioning well then the cancer cells don't have a chance to survive. In the case of ML specific cells
become cancerous and can easily travel through the body's highway of lymph vessels and the big filter stations called lymph
nodes.

The disease can affect many areas including the lymph nodes, bone marrow and the internal organs. Loss of appetite, weight
loss and loss of energy are the most obvious signs (symptoms). If the lungs are affected then respiration is altered. If the
stomach is affected, the vomiting may be a sign. If the brain is affected then seizures may develop and so on. During a
physical exam the most prominent finding is enlarged lymph nodes. The lymph nodes which are small kidney bean shaped
structures; soft is normal. If they are enlarged, they can be as large as a golf ball and very hard. This may only be perceived
by the pet owner as a "lump".

Diagnosis of the disease involves biopsies which can often be done painlessly with the animal awake, blood work and
ultrasound. Biopsies can help stage the advancement of the disease. Treatment is by use of chemotherapy to produce
remission. As you can guess the more advanced the disease the less hopeful we are that chemotherapy will be affective.
However, in the last few years chemotherapies have had a 70-80% response rate. That is good news.

It is estimated that 6-30 per 100,000 dogs are affected yearly. I have saw 3 dogs in 1998. Most are dog 5-10 years old.
Several breeds are at higher risk: boxer, basset hounds golden retriever, Saint Bernard, Scottish terrier, Airedale terrier and
bulldogs. And it always seems to me the sweetest of dogs are attacked by this cancer. While no causes are certain there is
speculation that a virus or environmental factors play a role in the disease. This is an area highly researched.

My best recommendation is to have any "lumps" on your pet checked by your veterinarian. Don't hesitate.

February, 10, 1999

17641 SE Stark

255-9766