RADIOTHERAPY WITH AND WITHOUT CHEMOTHERAPY FOR LOCALIZED LYMPHOMA IN 10 CATS

A retrospective study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of radiotherapy with and without chemotherapy for treatment of localized lymphoma in 10 cats. Tumor location included nasal cavity (3 cats), retrobulbar area (3 cats), mediastinum (1 cat), subcutaneous tissue (1 cat), maxilla (1 cat) and mandible (1 cat). Six cats were treated with radiation alone and 4 cats also received chemotherapy during and/or after radiotherapy. Complete remission was achieved locally in 8 of 10 cats, whereas 2 cats had partial remission. Five of the 6 cats treated with radiotherapy alone achieved complete remission. Overall mean and median remission times for the 8 cats with complete remission were 123 weeks and 114 weeks, respectively (range 4 to 277 weeks). Three of the 8 cats have been in complete remission for more than 131 weeks and are still alive. Three cats achieving complete local remission developed lymphoma outside the radiation field. One cat had recurrence at the site of irradiation. Results of the retrospective study suggest that radiotherapy with and without chemotherapy may be effective for the treatment of localized lymphoma in the cat.