Lymphoma is normally diagnosed by cytology and histopathology as in excising the lymph node completely or partially with a fine needle. At this point, the disease can be definitively diagnosed. The important detail that you should be aware of is that lymphoma is the general label for a group of diseases each of which acts differently and respond to different kinds of treatment approaches.
Patients who have been diagnosed with lymphoma by histopathological techniques have actually been diagnosed as being in this group. If the subtype of lymphoma is not determined as the next step, a correct treatment protocol cannot be planned. 15% of lymphomas should not be treated at all or should be managed with single agent therapy. When treated correctly, patients with lymphomas in this group can survive up to 4 years.
Regarding dogs with lymphoma, before chemotherapy protocols are applied, the type of lymphoma should be determined with immunohistochemical methods. Otherwise, the chemotherapy protocol will do more harm than good. These types of lymphomas are called indolent lymphomas. Lymphomas unfortunately can change course in terms of their type. During the disease progression, they can show characteric changes. When the veterinarian discovers such a lymphoma, instead of applying a combination chemotherapy, she should observe the patient and if she suspects a change, she should retest the disease for stage and grade. With these clinical procedures, patients with lymphoma can have the maximum lifespan possible.
