Cytosine arabinoside in addition to VCAA‐based protocols for the treatment of canine lymphoma with bone marrow involvement: does it make the difference?

Abstract

well tolerated, with a low incidence of adverse events. Ara-C added to a VCAA-based protocol appears to be safe and beneficial in dogs with stage V lymphoma.Incorporation of the nucleoside analogue might be crucial for the development of future therapeutic strategies in dogs.

Efficacy and toxicity of carboplatin and cytarabine chemotherapy for dogs with relapsed or refractory lymphoma (2000–2013)

“…Cytarabine has also been evaluated as a single agent and as a component of combination protocols for canine leukemias and lymphomas with varying responses . In a 1994 study by Ruslander et al , cytarabine was evaluated as a single agent for the treatment of naïve lymphoma in 15 dogs .…”

Clinical relevance of serial determinations of lactate dehydrogenase activity used to predict recurrence in dogs with lymphoma

“…24,25 Of the 50 dogs, 41 (82.0%) achieved CR at the end of the 9-week treatment period. 24,25 Of the 50 dogs, 41 (82.0%) achieved CR at the end of the 9-week treatment period.…”

“…22 Traditionally, dogs with lymphoma have been grouped into 5 clinical stages on the basis of anatomic tumor extension, 22 with a more advanced clinical stage reflecting a more aggressive clinical course. 22,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] In humans with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the correlation between LDH activity at time of diagnosis and disease aggressiveness has been clearly established; increased serum LDH activities are closely associated with marked disease activity and diminished response to treatment. 22 It has become clear that use of only anatomic staging provides inadequate prognostic information, thereby making it difficult for clinical investigators to identify useful factors associated with the disease-free interval and overall survival.…”

“…22,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] We believe that anticipating the dynamics of the disease would be of great value and will provide new opportunities for treating and possibly improving survival in affected dogs. Measurement of LDH activity may assist clinicians in early recognition of disease progression and thus help in risk stratification and case selection for interventional treatments.…”

“…For inclusion in the study, each dog had to have a high-grade lymphoma (as determined by use of the updated Kiel classification scheme 23 ), receive the same chemotherapy treatment until first tumor recurrence, 24,25 and receive rescue treatments thereafter. For the first-line chemotherapy, dogs were treated in accordance with a 9-week modified VCAA protocol 24,25 unless they had bone marrow infiltration, in which case cytosine arabinoside was incorporated, as described elsewhere.…”