Bone Marrow Transplantation for Lymphoma
VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital is pleased to be one of four locations in the United States offering bone marrow transplantation to client owned pets. This state of the art therapy is primarily directed at dogs diagnosed with lymphoma. However, provided a matching donor can be located, it can be used as an effective treatment for dogs with other types of cancers and some non-cancerous diseases as well. For lymphoma, the process involves the replacement of irradiated bone marrow with normal stem cells collected from the same pet after chemotherapy is completed (autologous transplant). It allows veterinary oncologists to treat lymphoma with the most aggressive chemotherapy possible and to administer a dose of total body irradiation high enough to kill lymphoma cells that may be resistant or residing in locations in the body where chemotherapy cannot reach. Chemotherapy alone for lymphoma, the current standard of care, strives to achieve remission and extend length and quality of life whereas transplantation strives to achieve a cure. Please contact us or refer to our bone marrow transplant page if you have questions regarding this type of treatment or if you are uncertain if you pet is a candidate.
Sincerely,
John Chretin, DVM, DACVIM(O)
John.Chretin@vcahospitals.com
