Efficacy of a continuous, multiagent chemotherapeutic protocol versus a short-term single-agent protocol in dogs with lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: To compare response rates and remission and survival times in dogs with lymphoma treated with a continuous, multiagent, doxorubicin-based chemotherapeutic protocol or with a short-term single-agent protocol incorporating doxorubicin.
DESIGN: Nonrandomized controlled clinical trial. ANIMALS: 114 dogs with lymphoma. PROCEDURES: Dogs were treated with a chemotherapeutic protocol consisting of L-asparaginase, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and prednisolone (n=87) or doxorubicin alone (27).
RESULTS: 63 of 86 (73%) dogs treated with the multiagent protocol (data on response was unavailable for 1 dog) and 14 of 27 (52%) dogs treated with the single-agent protocol had a complete remission. Dogs with lymphoma classified as substage<or=and dogs with a high BUN concentration at the time of initial diagnosis were significantly less likely to have a complete remission. No significant difference in remission or survival time could be demonstrated between treatment groups. Incidence of hematologic and gastrointestinal tract toxicoses did not differ between treatment groups, with the exception that vomiting was more common among dogs treated with the multiagent protocol. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this population of dogs, we were not able to identify any significant difference in remission or survival times between dogs with lymphoma treated with a continuous, multiagent chemotherapeutic protocol and dogs treated with a short-term single-agent protocol involving doxorubicin.