Canine Lymphoma Diagnosis and Treatment Approaches

Canine lymphoma is one of the most frequently diagnosed haematopoietic malignancies in veterinary practice, closely mirroring many aspects of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in humans. Clinically, the multicentric form predominates, characterised by generalised lymphadenopathy, with B-cell immunophenotypes more common than T-cell. Diagnosis relies on a combination of cytology, histopathology and immunophenotyping, often supplemented by clonality assays to distinguish neoplastic from reactive processes. Advances in molecular diagnostics, including polymerase chain reaction for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR), have improved sensitivity and specificity in early detection and subtyping. Standard treatment remains a combination chemotherapy protocol, typically employing cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP), which yields high remission rates but variable durations. Emerging immunotherapeutic strategies, such as monoclonal antibodies targeting CD20 and other B-cell markers, are under active development. Prognostic assessment incorporates stage, immunophenotype, tumour grade and response to induction therapy. Efforts to overcome drug resistance focus on the modulation of efflux transporters and on novel targeted agents. Globally, canine lymphoma serves not only as a clinical challenge in veterinary oncology but also as a comparative model for human lymphoid malignancies, driving cross-disciplinary insights into pathogenesis and therapy optimisation.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have yielded a recombinant anti-CD20 antibody designed for canine B-cell lymphoma. A chimeric rat–canine monoclonal antibody demonstrated both antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity against a canine B-cell lymphoma line, with a defucosylated variant showing a tenfold increase in cytotoxic potency. In an immunodeficient mouse xenograft model, both the native and defucosylated antibodies markedly suppressed tumour growth. Importantly, a single administration of the defucosylated antibody in healthy dogs induced prolonged peripheral B-cell depletion, confirming in vivo activity and safety. This antibody represents a promising candidate for integration into multimodal treatment regimens and paves the way for comparative immunotherapy studies in human and veterinary oncology.

Canine Lymphoma Diagnosis and Treatment Approaches publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in canine lymphoma diagnosis and treatment approaches across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Multicentric lymphoma: A form of lymphoma in which multiple peripheral lymph nodes are enlarged.

Immunophenotyping: Analysis of cell surface markers to classify lymphoma subtype using flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry.

Polymerase chain reaction for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR): Molecular assay that detects clonal rearrangements of immunoglobulin or T-cell receptor genes to confirm neoplasia.

CHOP chemotherapy: A multidrug regimen comprising cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin (hydroxydaunorubicin), vincristine (Oncovin) and prednisone.

Monoclonal antibody: A laboratory-generated antibody that binds a specific antigen, such as CD20 on B cells.

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC): Immune mechanism in which effector cells lyse antibody-coated target cells.

Complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC): Cell lysis triggered by antibody activation of the complement cascade.

References

1. Canine lymphoma: a review. Veterinary Quarterly (2016).
2. The Comparative Diagnostic Features of Canine and Human Lymphoma. Veterinary Sciences (2016).
3. Optimisation and validation of a PCR for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR) assay to detect clonality in canine lymphoid malignancies. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology (2016).
4. Generation of a canine anti-canine CD20 antibody for canine lymphoma treatment. Scientific Reports (2020).