This allows us to determine prognosis and how well a patient may handle chemotherapy. The results of these tests will help us evaluate the extent of the disease and normal organ function. This includes a complete blood cell count, chemistry profile, urine analysis, chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, and bone marrow aspirate. Other staging tests will be performed to look for other affected organs. We can also determine if the lymphoma is a B cell or T cell lymphoma, which helps to predict prognosis. The pathologist can tell from the biopsy if the lymphoma is high grade or low grade – this will help us determine the type of chemotherapy that will be most effective. However, if the intestinal tract is involved, samples may need to be obtained through endoscopic or surgical biopsy. Many times this can be performed while the patient is under a short-acting anesthetic. If the results are suggestive of lymphoma, a larger portion of the lymph node or organ involved will be taken and sent to the histopathology lab for analysis. This can be done quickly, rarely needs anesthesia and results are usually back within 24 hours. The symptoms vary depending on what organs are involved, and can include decreased appetite and energy level, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and increased drinking and urination.ĭiagnosing lymphoma usually starts by obtaining cells of the affected organ with a needle for a clinical pathologist to examine. The most common location of lymphoma in cats is the gastrointestinal tract. In dogs, the most common presentation is non-painful enlargement of the body’s lymph nodes - typically under the jaw, in front of the shoulders and behind the knees. It can arise in lymph nodes as well as organs such as the spleen, liver, intestinal tract and skin. Lymphoma, a cancer of white blood cells, is one of the most common cancers of dogs and cats.
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