- Etiology of lymphomas in cats
- Symptoms of lymphoma in a cat
- Diagnosis of lymphoma in cats
- Treatment of lymphoma in cats
- Prospects
Lymphoma in cats is a malignant cancer of the lymphatic system.
In a healthy animal, the lymphatic system plays an important role in immune defense against infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria. With this problem, lymphocytes (white blood cells) change and begin to divide spontaneously, resulting in tumors appearing in the body. Feline lymphoma is one of the most common cancer pathologies (up to 90%) in cats. Most often, lymphosarcoma is detected under the age of 3 years and from 7 to 15 years. This disease is not contagious to humans and other animals.
Lymphoma and its types
According to histological classification, lymphoma is divided into two broad groups:
Mediastinal lymphoma and fluid in the lungs
- B cell;
- T cell.
According to the classification according to the clinical picture, lymphomas are represented by mediastinal lymphosarcoma, multiple and alimentary lymphosarcoma, and lymphocytic leukemia in cats. MALT lymphoma, or its extranodal form, consisting of marginal zone cells, stands apart. It occurs more often as a pathology of the stomach and is practically not diagnosed in the early stages.
In the practice of a veterinary oncologist, there are indolent and aggressive lymphomas. The first option develops slowly, calmly and, with timely treatment, has a favorable prognosis. The second type quickly spreads throughout the body, covers a wide area of internal organs, requires immediate treatment and has a poor prognosis.
References
- Al-Radi, L.S., Baryakh, E.A., Belousova, I.E. Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of lymphoproliferative diseases. Association of Oncologists of Russia, 2014. - 296 p.
- Multiple myeloma. Clinical recommendations. Association of Oncologists of Russia, 2022. - 222 p.
- Lifshits, V.M., Sidelnikova, V.I. Medical laboratory tests. - M.: Triad X, 2007. - 312 p.
- Burtis, C. Textbook of clinical chemistry and molecular diagnostics Saunders, 2006. - 555 p.
Etiology and pathogenesis: mechanism of tumor occurrence
The first on the list of causes that provoke the development of lymphomas in cats is the RNA-containing leukemia virus (FeLV), which is transmitted by contact, in utero, with saliva, and blood from a sick animal to a healthy one. The natural reservoir of this disease is present in a flock of stray cats, so lymphoma is often found in free-ranging animals that have the opportunity to come into contact with stray cats.
Other reasons include:
- the effect of heavy metal salts on the body;
- ionizing radiation;
- unfavorable environmental conditions in the place where the cat lives.
The pathogenesis of development is complex, its essence is that under the influence of a provoking factor, lymphocytes change, their genetic structure is transformed. Subsequently, abnormalities in the DNA structure worsen, control over the correct division of cells is lost, as a result of which they begin to divide uncontrollably, forming a tumor.
With lymphocytic leukemia, the bone marrow is involved in the pathological process; through the blood and lymph flow, malignant cells are spread throughout the body, which provokes the formation of new tumors.
Caring for a sick cat
Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. In some cases, the only solution is to provide additional care to improve the quality of life of the affected animals.
It is important to closely monitor your cat's food and water intake while she is in the recovery phase.
The prognosis of this disease is highly variable and depends on the initial response to treatment, anatomical tumor type, FeLV status, and tumor burden.
If chemotherapy is started, you may need to check your cat regularly. At each visit, your veterinarian will perform blood tests to determine the response to treatment, as well as check the status of any complications arising from the treatment so that necessary adjustments can be made.
If chemotherapy drugs have been prescribed as part of your home treatment, be sure to follow the instructions carefully as chemotherapy drugs are very toxic to human health. Basic precautions include using latex gloves before taking the medicine.
If pain medications for cats have been prescribed, use them with caution and follow all instructions carefully, making sure all family members are familiar with the medication schedule; One of the most preventable pet disasters is drug overdose.
Survival times vary greatly, from several months to less than two years.
Clinical picture of lymphoma in cats
Symptoms depend on the type of lymphoma (lymphosarcoma) and have a broad clinical picture. But the general signs look like this:
- lethargy, apathy;
- weight loss;
- fast fatiguability.
That is, although a cat is normally calm for most of the day, in a sick animal the malaise manifests itself especially acutely. And an attentive owner will notice changes in her behavior quickly.
With mediastinal lymphosarcoma, severe difficulty breathing appears, the cat's posture is unnatural, forced with an elongated neck in order to capture more air. The reason for this is the formation of a tumor of the thymus gland and compression of the lungs by the neoplasm. When the thymus is damaged, fluid also accumulates in the chest cavity, which puts even more pressure on the lung tissue and makes breathing difficult.
The gastrointestinal tract is affected by alimentary lymphosarcoma, clinical signs are nonspecific - vomiting, constipation, diarrhea. The tumor forms on the mesenteric lymph node, stomach or intestines. With extensive lesions, intestinal obstruction forms, this is a signal for urgent surgical intervention.
Multiple (diffuse) lymphomas in a cat’s body can be suspected by enlarged lymph nodes throughout the body. During the examination, damage to the spleen and liver is diagnosed, anemia develops, the number of leukocytes in the blood changes (leukocytosis - increase, leukopenia - decrease).
Signs of development of intestinal lymphoma:
- lack of appetite;
- unusual drowsiness;
- rapid weight loss;
- swelling and enlargement of lymph nodes;
- periodic vomiting;
- diarrhea, presence of blood streaks in the stool;
- abdominal pain and bloating.
If any of these signs are observed, and even more so if they are combined, you need to invite a veterinary oncologist for an initial examination of the pet and the appointment of further diagnostics.
Secrets of pathology diagnostics at the RosVet VC
When a cat is admitted with suspected lymphoma, diagnosis is a multi-step process. First, a veterinary oncologist conducts an external examination of the skin and mucous membranes, palpates the area of superficial lymph nodes, evaluates the animal’s appearance, its fatness and the quality of its coat.
Be sure to test the blood for carriage of the feline leukemia virus.
Laboratory blood tests reveal the presence/absence of anemia (drop in hemoglobin level), note the level of leukocytes and enzymes in the blood serum (lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, AlT, AST).
Improvements after chemotherapy for mediastinal lymphoma.
Ultrasound allows you to assess the size and condition of the internal lymph nodes in the abdominal cavity, thymus and lungs.
If altered lymph nodes are detected, cytological diagnostics are prescribed to find out the reason for their enlargement and the presence/absence of tumor cells.
For a biopsy, which is performed in an open manner, it is better to take a whole lymph node, so immunohistochemical and histological analysis will be more accurately carried out.
It is important to understand! All diagnostic procedures must be carried out. This is the only way to make a correct diagnosis, draw conclusions about the severity of the tumor process and develop optimal treatment for each patient with lymphoma admitted to the RosVet EC.
Prospects
The prognosis for the diagnosis of feline lymphosarcoma depends on a large number of factors, the affected organs, the stage of the oncological process and the timeliness of treatment.
The average life expectancy of animals with lymphoma without an appropriate course of chemotherapy is 4-6 weeks.
If the tumor responds well to chemotherapy and there is a positive trend in the course of the disease, the animal's lifespan can be extended to an average of 3 years. In the presence of FeLV and/or FIV virus carriage, lack of treatment, as well as poor response of lymphoma to chemotherapy drugs, the prognosis may worsen to unfavorable.
What is the basis for the treatment of malignant tumors?
The basis of treatment for lymphomas is chemotherapy. Various schemes have been developed, their principle of action is based on the introduction of cytotoxic drugs, which should destroy all incorrectly and rapidly dividing cells.
The disadvantage of chemotherapy is that healthy cells, including bone marrow, gonads, and internal organs, are also exposed to toxic substances. Therefore, the dosage of medications is calculated strictly individually.
Cats with lymphoma should be closely monitored by their treating veterinary oncologist. Regularly monitor the level of leukocytes and enzymes in the blood, and monitor the growth or disappearance of the tumor during remission of the disease.
Treatment
Lymphoma is an extremely aggressive type of malignant tumor. To date, several basic chemotherapy regimens have been developed to achieve remission of the disease (disappearance of clinical signs, tumor infiltration for a certain time). The duration of treatment is usually 4-6 months.
If individual well-circumscribed tumor masses are identified in the intestine, surgical removal is indicated (especially when the tumor causes intestinal obstruction/obstruction). Radiation may be used for nasal lymphoma (tumor infiltrating the nasal passages).
A combination of surgery and chemotherapy is also used for certain indications.
Disease prognosis and life expectancy
Most lymphomas respond well to chemotherapy; modern drugs cause minimal harm to healthy cells, so treatment can be carried out over a long period of time. This allows you to achieve stable remission of the disease.
Cats with lymphosarcoma live more than 3 years in 15% of cases, about 2 years - only 30% of animals, and up to a year in 65% of oncologist's patients. The earlier cancer pathology was detected, the more fully diagnostic and therapeutic measures were carried out, the higher the likelihood of increasing the cat’s life expectancy.
The owner cannot independently diagnose lymphoma in a cat. But if the pet begins to behave unusually, it develops weakness, general malaise, and the animal visually loses its healthy appearance - you must not hesitate! Timely contacting the RosVet EC is the key to rapid detection of a malignant tumor. Call 24 hours a day and make an appointment with a veterinary oncologist. The clinic operates 24 hours a day; if necessary, a visiting team can come to your home.
Diagnosis of the disease
To make a diagnosis, the doctor conducts a histological examination of the affected lymph node. Sometimes the organ is located in such a place in the body that it is impossible to reach it. In this case, additional research is carried out:
- blood analysis;
- Ultrasound;
- radiography;
- PCR.
The veterinarian must examine the skin and visible mucous membranes and palpate the lymph nodes. If alimentary lymphoma is suspected, an animal stool test may be necessary.
Incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL)
More than 90% of NHL is diagnosed in adult patients. Most often, NHL occurs between the ages of 60 and 70 years. The risk of developing this tumor increases with age.
The lifetime personal risk of developing NHL is approximately 1 in 50.
Since the beginning of the 70s, there has been an almost twofold increase in the incidence of NHL. This phenomenon is difficult to explain. This is mainly associated with infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. Part of this increase can be attributed to improved diagnostics.
Since the late 90s, there has been a stabilization in the incidence of NHL.
NHL is more often detected in men compared to women.
In 2002, 5,532 cases of NHL in adult patients were identified in Russia.
In the United States in 2004, according to preliminary data, 53,370 cases of NHL in adults and children are expected.
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Enteropathic T-cell lymphoma
Enteropathic T-cell lymphoma is very rare and belongs to a class of aggressive large cell T-cell lymphomas. It usually appears in the small intestine and from there can spread to other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. The term “enteropathic” consists of two parts: “entero-” (a Greek prefix indicating a connection with the intestines) and “-pathy” (the final component of complex words meaning “disease”), which literally means that the disease is manifested by a disruption of the intestines. The tumor consists of T cells, and T cells (T lymphocytes) are the most formidable fighters of the immune system, since they destroy foreign bacteria and the body’s own diseased cells. Often this type of lymphoma appears against the background of another disease - celiac disease, that is, genetic intolerance to the gluten protein, which is found in grain products: bread, cereals, etc. The patient may experience persistent diarrhea (diarrhea), moderate to severe abdominal pain, and signs of illness called “B-symptoms”: a fever, rapid weight loss, and sweating profusely in the evening and at night. Autoimmune complications are also possible, when the immune system mistakenly begins to destroy healthy cells of organs and tissues of its own body.
Diagnosis
The disease can be detected if a fibrocolonoscopy or enteroscopy is performed in a timely manner. During these studies, an endoscopist uses a special apparatus to examine the large and small intestines. If the doctor sees a suspicious ulcer or tumor, he will be able to take a piece for analysis for morphological and immunohistochemical examination. This is very important for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment selection. Only such a complex, comprehensive analysis allows an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
To find out for sure whether there are enlarged lymph nodes or individual lymphoma tumors in the internal organs of those parts of the body that cannot be seen during an external examination, it is necessary to do a computed tomography scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis.
Treatment
Because the disease is rare, there is no reliable numerical data on effective treatment yet. To treat patients with this disease, doctors use a variety of proven treatment regimens for other lymphomas, and are also constantly trying new treatments using new drugs.
- Back
- Forward
Types of lymphomas
Doctors distinguish 2 main classes of them:
- Hodgkin's lymphoma, or lymphogranulomatosis
: Most often starts in the lymph nodes of the upper body - in the chest, neck or armpits. It usually spreads to various lymph nodes through the lymphatic vessels, but in rare cases, in later stages it enters the bloodstream and spreads to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs or bone marrow. This diagnosis is made when special cells are identified in the body - Berezovsky-Reed-Sternberg, which are modified B-lymphocytes.
- TO non-Hodgkin's lymphomas
include all other types of the disease - there are about 30 of them. Each of them has its own special characteristics: the location of the primary tumor, the structure and speed of development.
Risk factors for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Risk factors may be genetic (inherited), lifestyle-related, or environmental.
Age is the most important risk factor for NHL. Most cases of NHL are diagnosed in people over 60 years of age.
Congenital defects of the immune system not only predispose to infections, but also increase the risk of developing NHL in children and young adults.
Obesity may increase the risk of NHL.
Radiation increases the risk of leukemia, thyroid cancer, and NHL. Patients who received radiation therapy for cancer later have an increased risk of developing NHL. This risk is further increased when a combination of chemotherapy and radiation is used.
Benzene, herbicides, and insecticides are associated with an increased risk of NHL.
Acquired immunodeficiency caused by the use of various drugs in organ transplant patients increases the risk of developing NHL.
Human immunodeficiency virus infections are associated with an increased risk of some types of NHL.
Epstein-Barr virus is associated with an increased risk of developing Burkitt's lymphoma and other lymphomas, especially in people with AIDS.
The bacterium Helicobacter pylori , which causes stomach ulcers, can also lead to lymphoma of the same location.
Elimination (where possible) of known risk factors can help to prevent this disease to a certain extent.
3. Symptoms and diagnosis
The clinical picture is formed by numerous and, as a rule, significantly pronounced symptoms, none of which, however, is pathognomonic (unambiguously indicating this disease). The diagnosis of “intestinal lymphoma” is assumed based on a specific combination of such manifestations as significant enlargement and palpable tenderness of the lymph nodes, pain (usually aggravated by defecation and/or eating), fever and general malaise, various dyspeptic symptoms, and hyperhidrosis. Sometimes there is an admixture of blood in the stool. One of the features of intestinal lymphoma that distinguishes it from other oncological diseases is the rapid appearance and increase in clinically significant symptoms, which leaves a chance for early correct diagnosis.
It should be noted that intestinal lymphomas vary widely in terms of aggressiveness, growth rate, specific localization (usually the small intestine, less often the large intestine, very rarely total damage to the entire intestine occurs), histological characteristics, as well as staging in each specific case of seeking help.
The decisive diagnostic method is biopsy. Some clinical variants of intestinal lymphoma, especially in advanced forms, are characterized by an extremely unfavorable prognosis, while others (up to 50%) are considered curable.
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Is lymphoma cancer?
Official medicine in Russia and some other countries refers to cancer as malignant tumors - life-threatening neoplasms that develop in epithelial cells contained in the skin or mucous membranes and lining the internal surface of organs.
Lymphoma is not a cancer, but an oncological disease. It is formed from lymphocytes, and its cells are also able to divide uncontrollably, accumulate in tissues, disrupting their work, and create additional foci of disease in various parts of the body.
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a lesion of the immune system and internal organs, in which altered cells accumulate, disrupting tissue function.
The tumor develops in the lymphatic system, which helps us fight infections and other diseases. The lymph circulating in it washes all the cells of the body and delivers the necessary substances to them, taking away waste. In the lymph nodes located throughout its network, dangerous substances are neutralized and removed from the body. The lymphatic system complements the circulatory system and helps fluids move throughout the body. Unlike blood, the speed of which is set by the “pump” - the heart, lymph slowly circulates on its own.
