- Surgery for lymphosarcoma is generally ineffective. Chemotherapy drugs may well be effective, however, and are not as expensive as you might think. Vincristine (sp?) combined with prednisolone is one combination which is frequently used, according to the veterinarian for whom I work. Vincristine is given at frequent (weekly) intervals initially, then at increasing intervals. The only problem is that frequent blood tests need to be taken in order to monitor the white blood cell level.

-As far as what to expect from chemo (ion terms of how long it will work etc..) I would need more information -- where was his tumor, what signs was he displaying that told you to look for a problem, does he have feline leukemia or FIV, does he have evidence of lymphoma in his bone marrow? These are all important variables in determining a prognosis. Averages go something like this however (the info, above helps to know which side of "average" an individual is likely to fall): 1) Do nothing - Most animals will survive about 1 month. 2) Do prednisone pills alone - Prednisone actually kills lymphoma cells, is very cheap, you can give the pills at home, but the duration of remission is usually only about 2-3 months. During that time most of them feel great, and their tumors regres. The problem is that when they come beck, the cells are often rendered resistant to other chemotherapy drugs. So if usaing Prednisone you need yo be sure that you are not and will not be interested in traditional chemotherapy. 3) "Traditional" chemotherapy - Most protocols involve weekly injections and blood tests for about 2 months, then many go to every other week, then every 3rd week, etc. The first 6 months or so of therapy would probably cost $800 (the going rate here in Wisconsin), and the AVERAGE cat will usually succumb to their disease, or have to be euthanized, in 8 to 10 months. However, like I said, that's just an average and averages are made up of animals that do better and animals that do worse than that. The tests listed above help to tell which way your cat will go.

If you're interested in chemotherapy, you might want to consult an oncology specialist -- your vet may be familiar with chemotherapy for lymphoma, but should certainly be able to provide you with a referral to a specialist.