title: Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in three dogs with melphalan and prednisolone.
abstract: Three adult dogs with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) were successfully treated with melphalan and prednisolone. Based on the immunophenotypic analysis of leukaemic cells, two dogs were diagnosed with B cell CLL and one dog was tentatively diagnosed as having T cell CLL. One dog with B cell CLL had IgM monoclonal gammopathy. The clinical signs and haematological abnormalities associated with CLL in the three dogs improved with the administration of cytoreductive melphalan (3 to 5 mg/m2/day) and prednisolone (4.3 to 30 mg/m2/day) for eight to 210 days. There were no severe adverse effects except a mild increase in plasma alkaline phosphatase activity. Melphalan and prednisolone therapy may achieve remission with few side effects in dogs with CLL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawamura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurakawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hisasue
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsujimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D001792:Blood Platelets; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone; D008558:Melphalan