| Lymphosarcoma is also known as lymphoma or | | | | is not a cure, but it does allow good quality |
| non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is one of the most | | | | of life. Eight to Ten Months is the average |
| common cancers treated in practice. Many | | | | remission and survival time. Unlike humans, |
| different species develop Lymphosarcoma. | | | | less than five percent of dogs experience |
| | | | serious side effects from Chemotherapy, which |
| The most common form of Lymphosarcoma in dogs | | | | can include: |
| is that which starts in the lymph nodes. Your | | | | |
| dog may feel fine and have no clinical | | | | * Vomiting |
| symptoms other than enlarged lymph nodes. | | | | |
| Usually the first place this is noticed is | | | | * Diarrhea |
| under the jaw. Other forms of Lymphosarcoma | | | | |
| can start in the chest, abdomen, bone marrow, | | | | * Appetite Loss |
| or skin. | | | | |
| | | | * Lethargy |
| FACT: In advanced cases, the cancer can | | | | |
| spread, which vets call "metastasize", to | | | | Dogs don't lose their hair like people |
| involve multiple sites. | | | | (except Poodles, Old English Sheepdogs) do |
| | | | with Chemotherapy, but some do lose their |
| DIAGNOSIS OF LYMPHOSARCOMA | | | | whiskers. |
| | | | |
| Because Lymphosarcoma can spread to almost | | | | COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS |
| any tissue in the body, a thorough work-up | | | | |
| needs to be done to determine stage of | | | | CANCER DIETS |
| disease. This lets us know how advanced the | | | | |
| disease has become and ultimately helps us | | | | A good diet and a multi-vitamin mineral |
| decide what treatment would be most | | | | supplement are standard for most cases. |
| beneficial. Typically, staging includes the | | | | |
| following tests. | | | | NUTRACEUTICALS, HORMONES, HERBS AND OTHER |
| | | | SUPPLEMENTS |
| *Cytology - Lymph node cells | | | | |
| | | | There are quite a few considerations that go |
| * Blood | | | | into designing a supplement program for a |
| | | | cancer patient. |
| * Abdominal radiographs | | | | |
| | | | Will the supplement interfere with |
| * Abdominal ultrasound | | | | chemotherapy? |
| | | | |
| * Bone marrow analysis | | | | Is immune stimulation potentially harmful? |
| | | | |
| It is not always necessary to do all of the | | | | Has the patient lost his or her appetite due |
| tests listed above, however, these help give | | | | to the illness? |
| us an indication of the stage of your pet's | | | | |
| cancer and his/her general health and ability | | | | Below is a brief listing of supplements that |
| to undergo treatment. | | | | may be helpful with cancer treatment. No |
| | | | doses are provided because every animal |
| STAGES OF LYMPHOSARCOMA | | | | should receive an individualevaluation. |
| | | | |
| Lymphosarcoma is staged from Stage I to Stage | | | | SUPPLEMENTS TO CONSIDER |
| V. Stage I disease means that the cancer is | | | | |
| confined to only one lymph node. | | | | Look for the * - these are considered |
| | | | essential supplements: |
| State I is rarely diagnosed in pets. | | | | |
| | | | * FISH OIL OR OTHER OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID |
| Stage II refers to cancer in more than one | | | | SOURCES: fish oil appears to reduce cancer |
| node but in one region of the body. | | | | spread; enhance natural defense mechanisms |
| | | | and fight inflammation. |
| Stage III refers to cancer in nodes | | | | |
| generalized in the body. | | | | * VITAMIN A: Vitamin A and beta-carotene |
| | | | enhance immune function and may prevent some |
| Stage IV means disease is not only in the | | | | forms of cancer. Be careful though - a large |
| nodes but also in the spleen or liver. | | | | study suggested that beta-carotene |
| | | | accelerated development of lung cancer in |
| Stage V refers to all of the above plus | | | | smokers. This might be important if your pet |
| cancer in the bone marrow, blood or other | | | | lives with a smoker. |
| sites not listed above. | | | | |
| | | | * VITAMIN C: like Vitamins A and E, adequate |
| There is also a sub classification of "A" or | | | | Vitamin C levels may lower cancer risk; |
| "B". "A" means that the patient is not ill | | | | supplementation may enhance effects of cancer |
| with the disease while "B" means that the | | | | therapy and reduce their potential toxicity. |
| patient is showing clinical symptoms such as | | | | The antioxidant function of Vitamin C may |
| vomiting, diarrhea, fluid in the lungs, etc. | | | | also reduce inflammation. |
| | | | |
| Stage IIIA is usually the earliest we detect | | | | * VITAMIN E: evidence suggests that Vitamin E |
| the disease in dogs. Even higher stages of | | | | prevents cancer. Vitamin E does stimulate |
| Lymphosarcoma are very treatable. | | | | immunity and may help counteract the side |
| | | | effects of chemotherapy. |
| TREATMENT | | | | |
| | | | *SELENIUM: strongly associated with a |
| Chemotherapy - means "chemical" treatment and | | | | decreased risk of cancer; supplementation may |
| refers to drug therapy. Anti-cancer drugs can | | | | reduce side effects of chemotherapy. |
| be administered intravenously, subcutaneously | | | | |
| or even orally depending on the drug chosen. | | | | COENZYME Q10: may decrease toxicity of the |
| Fortunately, animals tolerate these | | | | chemotherapeutic drug Adriamycin. Also acts |
| treatments far better than people. The | | | | as an antioxidant therefore, enhances immune |
| incidence of side effects tends to be less | | | | functions. |
| than 5 percent. | | | | |
| | | | * ARGININE: enhances immune function in |
| Will there be hair loss? In general, no. | | | | cancer studies. |
| Exceptions include Poodles, which are at risk | | | | |
| for chemotherapy induced hair loss. Old | | | | PYCNOGENOL: powerful antioxidant comes from |
| English Sheepdogs are also at higher risk. If | | | | grape seed extract. |
| any hair is lost, it will regrow after | | | | |
| treatment is stopped. | | | | MELATONIN: suppresses several types of |
| | | | cancer. |
| While Lymphosarcoma is a very treatable | | | | |
| disease, it is not a curable disease. | | | | GLANDULARS: extracts of thymus gland, for |
| | | | instance, may contain agents called cytokines |
| What are chances of remission and how long | | | | helpful in managing cancer. |
| will it last? It does depend on the TYPE of | | | | |
| Lymphosarcoma present, but in general, | | | | HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS: with anti-cancer effects |
| greater than 90% of dogs will achieve a | | | | (note: some of these herbs may be quite toxic |
| complete remission. The average length of | | | | - even more so than some chemotherapy drugs |
| remission is 8-12 months. | | | | in the correct dosage - so only use under the |
| | | | direction of a trained veterinarian): Green |
| What happens after my pet comes out of | | | | tea, Turmeric, Soybeans, Garlic, Carnivora |
| remission? Your pet can be retreated at that | | | | (venus fly trap), Cotis, Oregon Grape, |
| time. Second and third remissions are always | | | | Mistletoe, Chaparral |
| possible. | | | | |
| | | | IMMUNESTIMULANTS: |
| Cost of treatment - Treatment costs can start | | | | |
| at $500 and reach $2,000 for larger pets. | | | | - Reishi (ganoderma) |
| | | | |
| RENAL LYMPHOSARCOMA | | | | - Maitake |
| | | | |
| Renal Lymphosarcoma is the term used when the | | | | - Ashwaganda |
| kidneys are the primary site of involvement. | | | | |
| Signs include those of kidney dysfunction | | | | - Ginseng |
| failure; initially cats drink and urinate a | | | | |
| lot. Later, cats lose their appetite, vomit | | | | - Astragalus |
| and become depressed. | | | | |
| | | | HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT OF CANCER |
| MEDIASTINAL LYMPHOSARCOMA | | | | |
| | | | There are veterinarians who specialize in |
| The Mediastinum is a term used for "lymph" | | | | homeopathic treatment, and those who have a |
| tissue near the heart and lungs. These cats | | | | special interest in homeopathic treatment of |
| have difficulty breathing because the cancer | | | | cancer. Any pet owner considering homeopathic |
| forms a "tumor" mass in their chest or causes | | | | cancer treatment should consult a homeopathic |
| excess fluid to accumulate around their | | | | veterinarian. This is a brief list of some |
| lungs. | | | | homeopathic agents often used in cancer |
| | | | treatments and this prescription is best left |
| BONE MARROW LYMPHOSARCOMA: LEUKEMIA | | | | to the specialists. |
| | | | |
| If the cancer was confined to the bone | | | | - Arsenicum Album |
| marrow, it would be called Leukemia. The | | | | |
| signs seen would relate to the type of blood | | | | - Arsenicum Iodatum (Ars-I) |
| cell affected in the bone marrow. The bone | | | | |
| marrow normally makes red blood cells that | | | | - Asterias (Aster) |
| carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight | | | | |
| infection and platelets that help blood to | | | | - Cadmium Sulphide (Cadm-s) |
| clot. A decreased number of these cells as a | | | | |
| result of Leukemia would cause: anemia, | | | | - Calcarea carbonica (Calc or Calc carb) |
| infections, and bleeding disorders | | | | |
| respectively. | | | | - Carbo Animalis (Carb an) |
| | | | |
| DIAGNOSIS | | | | - Carbo |
| | | | |
| Diagnosis is confirmed by a tissue biopsy, | | | | - Carcinosic (carc) |
| which is a microscopic examination of tissue | | | | |
| from the specific site involved. | | | | - Conium maculatum (Conium) |
| | | | |
| To completely evaluate a dog suspected of | | | | - Graphites |
| having this type of cancer, a detailed exam | | | | |
| is necessary to determine whether or not the | | | | - Hydrastis (Hydr) |
| cancer has spread to involve any other areas | | | | |
| of the body. Veterinary cancer specialists | | | | - Mercurius corrosives (Merc cor, Nitric acid |
| (Oncologists) refer to this as "STAGING". | | | | (Nit ac) |
| Diagnostic Procedures used to "STAGE" the | | | | |
| cancer include: | | | | - Phosphorus (Phos) |
| | | | |
| * Cytology - analyze cells in enlarged lymph | | | | - Phytolacca (Phyt) |
| node and look at them under microscope. | | | | |
| Removing a few cells with a needle gives a | | | | - Silicea (Sil) |
| good idea of what's going on. | | | | |
| | | | - Sulphur |
| * Blood tests. | | | | |
| | | | - Thuja |
| * X-Rays | | | | |
| | | | - Cell salts |
| * Ultrasound | | | | |
| | | | - Tumor nosodes - vaccines made from cancer |
| * Bone Marrow Analysis | | | | cells |
| | | | |
| Once the extent of the cancer is determined | | | | Homeopathic: no food ten minutes before or |
| by STAGING, the best treatment can be | | | | after |
| determined. | | | | |
| | | | Silicea 6c - give one pellet once every two |
| TREATMENT | | | | days for four weeks. |
| | | | |
| Ninety percent of dogs treated with | | | | Phosphorus 6c - give one pellet once every |
| chemotherapy go into remission, which means | | | | two days for four weeks for tumors which |
| the cancer is no longer detectable. Remission | | | | bleed persistently. |