Toxicity of Etopozid in the treatment of cats with lymphoma

Abstract

Lymphoma in cats is a malignant neoplasm of lymphoid tissue (lymphocytes and other cells of the defense system are affected). Causes of lymphoma in cats can vary, including genetic factors, viruses, and exposure to carcinogens. Most often, patients are admitted to an appointment already with an advanced stage of lymphoma, since the signs of oncological disease are nonspecific and can be easily confused with other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms in cats may include swollen abdominal lymph nodes, decreased appetite and loss of lean body mass, behavioral changes (lethargy, weakness), vomiting, and fever. Lymphoma in cats accounts for 50-90% of all formations of the hematopoietic system. Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments. It consists in the use of cytostatics that inhibit the growth and division of tumor cells. Increasingly, new protocols are being tested in the treatment of animals for various oncological diseases. The length of the chemotherapy protocol varies according to the stage of the disease, clinical manifestation and extent of the lesion, but the most effective chemotherapy protocol is CHOP (endoxan, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone), which is designed for 25 weeks in cats. There are data on the use of the drug etoposide not only in humans but also in animals, which can be effective and serve as a replacement for endoxan in the CHOP treatment protocol. But in addition to the main methods of treatment, it is important to monitor the general condition of the animal, since the main goal of chemotherapy is to prolong the normal quality of life of the animal.