"I think at this point, you can consider him cured," said Dr. Pascale Salah, DVM, DACVIM (oncology). Dr. Salah is the Oncology department head and Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. "If anything else comes up after this, I think you could consider it unrelated," he continued. Dr. Salah also pointed out that Polar was one of only three cats in Penn Vet history to make it through the treatment protocol for renal lymphoma and be in remission.
While Polar proved an exception in this very serious case, there are many success stories in less serious types of lymphoma.
Is lymphoma more or less treatable than other cancers in cats?
"There are several types of lymphoma that can occur in cats, and they can have very different behaviors," said Dr. Katherine Skorupski, DVM, DACVIM (oncology). She is Chief of Medical Oncology and Professor of Clinical Medical Oncology at the University of California, Davis. "Lymphoma can be high-grade or low-grade, and grade predicts the behavior of the cancer. This includes the speed at which the cancer grows."
Skorupski further explained that high-grade lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body, often affects many organs at once, and usually grows quickly. In the case of Polar, who was diagnosed with a large tumor on his kidney (renal lymphoma), the oncologists at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital felt the tumor had only been there for an estimated two weeks. In other words, very fast-growing.
"Compared to other cancer in cats and to high-grade lymphoma in dogs, response rates with chemotherapy are lower and survival is not as good (for high-grade lymphoma)," said Skorupski. "Lowgrade (also called small-cell) lymphoma is a slower-moving form of lymphoma that most commonly affects the intestines. Low-grade lymphoma responds very well to oral chemotherapy, and cats usually live many years after diagnosis."
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Cat Talk.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Checklist For What to Look For in Your Club's Next Show Venue
Show Manager To Ring One, Please
Tonkinese
When You're Well and Truly Tonked
AVOIDING The Kitten Fear Period
Young kittens seem fearless.4 As soon as those eyes open and they can get their legs under them, they are off to see the world if their mama and humans let them.
No Milk For You!
Milk Issues and Kittens
Fostering Kittens
When asked if I would be interested in fostering a queen and her eight newborn kittens, I volunteered without question.
Do You present ? Polish! OR DO YOU
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS!
No Kitten! Cats Are Part of the Military!
Felines have graced the decks of boats and ships back nearly to the beginning of time, roaming freely on passenger ships, war vessels, and merchant schooners, keeping vermin at bay.
Feline Summer Movie Fun!
School is almost OUT! Huzzah! But raindrops are plunking against the window, the amusement and water parks haven’t opened yet, camping is out, and roasted hot dogs and S’mores are another month away.
Kittens Are Special...
...and so are some of the show rules for them:
Genetic Pleiotropy and the Risks in Breeding Recessive Mutations
Nearly everyone loves what’s rare and unique. A slight defect in the minting process of a coin can create a demand and a value well beyond the face value of the coin. The coin is functionally no different than its perfectly minted counterpart, but its scarcity and uniqueness alone make it more desirable than the rest.
