Bandit had his first chemotherapy treatment last Thursday & is doing fine. His second treatment is scheduled for this Saturday. I was out of town for a week, leaving my husband to hold the fort, and on my return it seemed to me that Bandit has gained a little weight. He's now 1 pound 15 ounces. Jeff says B-man has been snarfing down the Nutrical & Science Diet like there's nothing wrong with him. Thought the list folks would be interested in the treatment protocol, which follows below. Bandit is being treated by Dr. K. Ann Jeglum of West Chester, PA. Her phone is 215-696-1585. She told Jeff that she has treated a number of ferrets with this protocol and apparently most have gone into remission (at least that's what Jeff reports to me -- I will try to find out more details when Bandit goes in Saturday). She says we should see no side effects from this first treatment, and so far we have not. I talked with Dr. Karen Rosenthal at the Animal Medical Center, who oversaw Bandit's surgical treatment there, and she says this is the same treatment they use for ferret lympho at AMC, although she says they do blood testing (CBC) every 1-2 weeks. She says their best case went 8 months on this treatment. The language is mostly Greek to me, but you can pass it on to your vets -- and I guess there must be vets on this list, right, Chris? I know our vet student-in-residence, Jenny Au, will be interested (If she hasn't already seen this). Anyway, here it is (I know it says Feline but this is what they are using): FELINE LYMPHOMA CHEMOTHERAPY PROTOCOL K. Ann Jeglum, V.M.D. Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Oncology This protocol has been shown to be effective in the multicentric, alimentary and renal forms of feline lymphoma (Jeglum, JAVMA, 1987). Several modifications have been made since publication to improve efficacy and ease of administration. The LA-COP protocol should be used in the mediastinal form. WEEK 1 L-aspariginase 400 iu/kg IM, SC or IP WEEK 2 Vincristine 0.03 mg/kg IV (Do not extravascate) WEEK 3 Cytoxan 12.5 mg (1/2 of 25 mg tablet) once daily for 4 days WEEK 4 Vincristine 0.03 mg/kg IV WEEK 5 Methotrexate 2.5 mg tablet one dose Blood counts do not need to be evaluated unless the cat is showing clinical signs of toxicity such as anoerxia, lethargy, vomiting and/or diarrhea. It is recommended to continue weekly cycles for the first 6 months after which treatment intervals may be extended if in remission. END OF PROTOCOL Dr. Rosenthal says AMC does CBC's every 1-2 weeks to monitor whether the progress of the cancer, but would defer to Dr. Jeglum in this case since she is treating Bandit. For thos interested in the cost, well -- After the initial visit, Dr. Jeglum's cost is $20 a treatment. Dr. Rosenthal had told me earlier that AMC charges about $25 a treatment. [Posted in FML issue 0240]