T Zone Lymphoma......any experiences?

[jtalt7]

We removed a 'growth' from BHMSR's perma foster James this past week and once we got in we realized it was a lymph node and the histopath came back TZone Lymphoma James is around 14yrs old and the oldest guy that was pulled from the MO500 bust. He has been doing fabulous in hospice and now this.

We will be meeting with the oncologist on wed and will probably institute treatment that day which looks like will be chemo every month indefinitely. Apparently this is a rare form of Lymphoma and his is being very atypical. FIGURES!!!!!!!!!!! TZone is supposed to be a slower type of cancer but his is looking pretty aggressive according to the pathology report.

Anyone out there dealt with this rare type of lymphoma?

Urgh...........I will probably be setting up a chip in for his treatments and will post it on here somewhere. I dont expect you all to be able to donate too much with the holidays and and so many dogs in need, but gotta try somewhere.

This sucks.............

[suzanne]

I'm not anti chemotherapy, I did chemo on a 13 year old dog, however I work in a veterinary clinic and I was not asking for donations. This dog is 14 years of age, t-cell lymphoma does not respond nearly as well to treatment as b-cell does and even in young dogs with b-cell lymphoma they sometimes don't make it through their entire chemo protocol. Have you considered just going with prednisone and keeping him comfortable? You realize it isn't just the chemotherapy he will have to go through, if he gets ill he may need to get sub-q fluids, possibly IV fluids and other supportive care. Are you prepared for those kinds of extra expenses? Again, not saying an older dog is not deserving of fighting cancer - I did it with my dog. But she was also really used to going to the vet [I work at a clinic, she used to come with me everyday]. We went through 5 chemo treatments and then she got pancreatitis after a doxorubicin treatment [common side effect] she looked and felt horrible, she had to be hospitalized and after that I decided enough was enough, it wasn't worth letting her go through that again.

We use a chemotherapy protocol that rotate between vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and I think also prenisone. We've had a few patients also on CeeNu [CCNU] that have responded really well. T-cell lymphoma has shorter remission periods... We've had a few successful remissions but we've also had several dogs with lymphoma come out as soon as their chemo therapy protocol was over.

I hope you don't find this post horribly negative, chemo is just something to think over really seriously - cancer is general is just something to take seriously.

[jtalt7]

I'm able to treat without donations, it will just wipe my low cost spay and neuter fund, which im ok with. People come on here quite frequently and ask for help for their own dogs, why not a rescue?

This is not T cell. This is a rare form of slower acting lymphoma. This dog also comes to work frequently and I get most everything at cost as I'm the lead technician at the clinic. I know the risks with chemo and this kind of lymphoma does not respond to pred, so that is not an option. I would have loved pred as an option. Lomustine every 60 days is the protocol for tzone. Even with chemo we dont know if its going to necessarily respond because oncolgists just dont see this kind of indolent lymphoma, especially how his case is.

I appreciate your concerns but they have been addressed and thought about thoroughly. Hes in good hands and If he doesnt do well with the first round.....there wont be a second.

The purpose of this thread was not to ask for money, it was to get experiences since they vary so much with the cases on VIN.

[Murfins]

No experience with this kind of cancer but I'm sending positive thoughts to James.

[elegy]

Sending lots of good wishes! I hate cancer

[patty]

Sending positive, healing thoughts to James. Wish I had some info.

[Ilovethepits]

James is in my thoughts and prayers.

[Misskiwi67]

I don't have a lot to offer for personal experience, but I think lymphoma is always worth chemotherapy.

The more aggressive ones often respond better to chemo since they are faster growing, so you really won't know how the chemo will go until you try. If he doesn't respond, you can save your spay/neuter fund. If he does respond, then you can buy the old fella some more time.

[jtalt7]

Thanks all for your well wishes!

We got some great news at the oncologist. We took aspirates of the spleen from nodules that we found and they were just reactive cells probably from his Babesia, so not lymphoma. No other nodes are affected and there is absolutely no telling when and if another node will pop up. (I am not naive, I know it will happen) but I am happy to know that the oncologist doesnt feel at this time it will be life ending for Mr James.

We will be monitoring him and when another node pops, we will start chemo then. Until then he can be the hardheaded old man he loves being.

[Murfins]

Couldn't ask for a better update!

[jtalt7]

For the James fans out there we are needing your thoughts. The old man stopped eating Fri and two more nodes have popped since with some coughing.

His foster momma has decided against chemo and we are going to be keeping him comfortable as long as we can. He is coming in tomorrow so we can go over a plan but I am just hoping for weeks which I understand is extremely optimistic and I know the reality.

Here is a picture of him the first day released by the courts in 09 after the MO500 bust.




Cancer sucks

[patty]

Oh James we love you. Praying for comfortable days

[mtlu]

Sending good thoughts for James and wishing as much as ease and comfort possible during this part of his journey through life

[Murfins]

Continuing to send positive thoughts to James. Cancer does suck.

[Leslie H]

Sending positive thoughts James' way.