The therapy of canine and feline lymphosarcoma

The results of chemotherapeutic trials in over 100 dogs and cats with naturally occurring lymphomas or lymphocytic leukemias are summarized. All animals were clinically staged and histologically classified according to criteria applied to the human diseases. Based upon the results, it is concluded that these animals provide excellent biomedical models for clinical studies of human counterparts. In contrast to small laboratory animals, they may be handled much like human patients and responses to chemotherapy and supportive care are similar to those in man. Experimental methods of chemotherapy or immunotherapy may, therefore, be evaluated in model systems which are potentially more applicable to human disease.