Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in three dogs with melphalan and prednisolone

• Published in: Journal of small animal practice Vol. 45; no. 6; pp. 298 - 303
• Main Authors: Fujino, Y, Sawamura, S, Kurakawa, N, Hisasue, M, Masuda, K, Ohno, K, Tsujimoto, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-2004
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating - administration & dosage; Blood Cell Count - veterinary; Blood Chemical Analysis - veterinary; Blood Platelets; Diagnosis, Differential; Dog Diseases - diagnosis; Dog Diseases - drug therapy; Dogs; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Glucocorticoids - administration & dosage; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - drug therapy; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - veterinary; Lymphocytes; Male; Melphalan - administration & dosage; Prednisolone - administration & dosage
• ISSN: 0022-4510; 1748-5827
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2004.tb00239.x

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.