my friend and I have had half a dozen ferrets with lymphoma, put on
chemo, and the results have been 50/50.  if we catch the lymphoma early
enough, then they do fairly well on it (with the exception of my Dart
who reacted to a chemo drug and passed away).  costs can vary.  we go to
a university clinic, which is slightly cheaper.  chemo costs are probably
average around $100 (varies depending on drugs) each week for a ten week
treatment.  additional costs would be for pred, antibiotics, and biopsies
and pathology to confirm the existance or lack of of the cancer.  we've
also paid for drugs such as filgrastim, which promotes creation of white
blood cells, to help our ferrets.  these costs can easily bring the total
up to 2000, and costs continue indefinitely if your ferret is not cancer
free at the end of the treatment.  one of my ferrets was not, and
continue to get treatment every 3-4 weeks.
 
another thing that we've been told.  chemo is not as effective if your
ferret has already started pred.
 
another question I would have is whether your vet has confirmed lymphoma
with pathology?
 
if you decide not to go with chemo, the only thing I can think of is
to find a vet that does holistic treatments and hope for the best.
supplements may also improve the quality of life for your ferret.  I
have heard from vets that Essiac can improve their quality of life, but
when I tried it (for a few months, with chemo), I couldn't tell if it
made a difference (anecdote is not data, though!).  I would suggest
you subscribe to the ferret health list and search it archives before
posting additional questions.
 
all the best to Merry
 
Selina, Clef, Popcorn, Sorin & Mochi
[Posted in FML issue 5338]