Stage migration in dogs with lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
Various diagnostic tests have been used to assign a clinical stage to dogs with lymphoma. As more sensitive staging methods are introduced, dogs are reclassified as having a higher disease stage, thereby affecting comparisons of dogs across differently staged clinical trials, and possibly, prognosis.


OBJECTIVE
The addition of more sensitive staging tests causes stage migration in dogs with lymphoma.


METHODS
Fifty-nine client-owned dogs with previously untreated cytologically or histologically confirmed lymphoma


METHODS
For every dog, the World Health Organization stage classification (I-V) was based on 5 groupings of various diagnostic tests: A (physical examination [PE] and quantitative blood count [QBC]), B (PE, QBC, thoracic and abdominal radiographs), C (PE, complete blood count with blood-smear evaluation [CBC], thoracic and abdominal radiographs), D (PE, CBC, thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound), and E (PE, CBC, thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, and bone-marrow cytology). Dogs were treated with doxorubicin-based protocols.


RESULTS
There was migration between all of the staging methods except D to E. However, the stage was not a predictor of remission rate, remission duration, or survival, regardless of staging method used.


CONCLUSIONS
These data emphasized the need for standardized methods to determine the clinical stage in dogs with lymphoma.
Flory
Andrea B
AB
Departments of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Rassnick
Kenneth M
KM
Stokol
Tracy
T
Scrivani
Peter V
PV
Erb
Hollis N
HN
D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000662:veterinary; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000662:veterinary; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000662:veterinary
D004317:Doxorubicin