Get Dr. Dressler's Dog Cancer Diet FREE Canine lymphoma, also called lymphosarcoma, is a strange cancer. Not that cancer is not strange in general, because it is. But lympho is different.
This cancer involves a certain type of white blood cell, the lymphocyte. Most have heard that white blood cells are an important part of the immune system. It turns out there is more to the story.
White blood cells are involved not only in protecting the body from microbes, but also in wound healing, foreign material removal, and cancer cell surveillance.
So what makes lympho different? Well, the cancer cells in this case are deranged white blood cells, usually grouped into T or B lymphocytes. These white blood cells have certain mutations in their DNA that allows them to outlive their usual lifespan.
At the end of a cell’s life, or if it gets damaged, infected or somehow deranged, there are genes in the DNA that should turn on. These genes start the signal for an amazing process called apoptosis.
Apoptosis is the normal end-of-life stage where a cell says, “Well, I’m not doing the body any good anymore,” and quietly, peacefully, dismantles itself.
Cancer cells have mutations that block the normal process of apoptosis.
Anyway, often what happens is the cancer cells continue to life and divide, creating tumors. One can have tumors in almost any organ. Many have heart of phrases like “pancreatic cancer” or “brain cancer”. In cases like this, there is usually one or more tumor in the organ.
Sometimes the first tumor will send off other cells to distant sites, far away from the body. The cells leave the tumor, go into the circulation, and set up shop elsewhere. This is called metastasis.
What makes lympho different is that this cancer starts in the circulation. Since these are basically white blood cells without normal apoptosis, they are already there. There is no metastasis per se.
Why does this matter? With lympho, there is usually no primary tumor in some organ. This means that the number one weapon we have, surgery, is usually not useful with this cancer. This is very different from some cancers, where surgical removal might be able to cure the cancer, assuming no metastasis.
If there is a silver lining, and I will admit it is maybe closer to a grayish lining, it is this: lympho has the highest chemotherapy success rates of any cancer. More respond, and more live longer, than any other cancer treated by conventional therapy.
If you would like to learn more about ways to get a leading edge on canine lymphosarcoma, you will be interested in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.
All my best,
Dr D
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
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Can you explain what squamous cell carcinoma is
on a dogs toe and does amputation have to follow?
I love your newsletters. Always informative and in a language the layman can understand. I just regret not having found you sooner. Last week I ordered the survival guide for my girlfriend’s English Bulldog with Acute Aplastic Leukemia. It was just too late. On Monday she left us to travel to the Rainbow Bridge.
Our dog, Bruno has lymphoma. In October 2009, We treated him with Chemo and he went into remission very quickly, however this only lasted 3 months. We decided not to try another chemo drug as the vet said he had less chance the second time around of going into remission and is likely to come out of remission even quicker. We have him on your cancer diet and some of the medication you suggest in your book. (Curcumin, Lutimax, parsley, and EGCG). He is also on pregnisone. At this point he is doing quite well, but has very swollen lumps in his neck and chest and breathes heavy. It has been great having something to work hard at to try and help him, so thankyou for all the advice. I did have a couple of questions – could I feed our other dog the cancer diet? and can I give Bruno more than one of the above at a time? I have been rotating one at a time every 10 – 14 days.
Dear Lexi,
I am very sorry to hear this news. Often we get the diagnosis of canine cancer very late, as hard as it is to accept.
I hope your girlfriend is hanging in there. There are some good techniques in the Guide that can help with sadness that she might like. If you need to return the Guide, please contact the publisher. Be well,
Dr D
Dear Rhonda,
Well, for healthy dogs, I will often use a human-grade commercial, natural dog food as a base (about half- one good brand is Halo) and then supplement the other half with the dog cancer diet. Please be sure to consult with your vet on any steps taken for your dog. Remember to mix it in very slowly over 14 days (the combination with the previous food) and monitor for vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and so on…
Good luck. By the way, now that the supplement I use is available, and it has in it the best of what you are giving, you could use that as a single combination approach to help maintain normal apoptosis levels in Bruno’s body as apposed to the rotation idea which was good for independent supplements. Check it out if you like.
Best of luck and sending my best for Bruno (and for you),
Dr D