Celebrating the Breakthroughs Shaping the Future of Canine Health. Meet the 2025 Canine Health Discovery Award Finalists.

Knowledge Hub

Access valuable information to help pet owners and veterinarians improve canine health and quality of life.

Canine Lymphoma

Lymphomas are cancers that arise from lymphocytes (white blood cells that fight disease). Normally, these cells travel through the body in the blood stream and in another network of thin “tubes” called lymph vessels, which interconnect organs of the lymphoid system (spleen, lymph nodes, thymus). Lymphocytes spend much of their time in these organs, where […]

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Epigenetic Biomarkers of B Cell Lymphoma

Introduction Lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs, especially in breeds like Golden Retrievers. A new study funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation reveals a breakthrough in understanding how this cancer develops at the molecular level (CHF Grant 01918-G: Discovery of Biomarkers to Detect Lymphoma Risk, Classify for Treatment, and Predict […]

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00613: The Prognostic Significance of Chromosome Aneuploidy in Canine Lymphoma

Grant Status: Closed Grant Amount: $113,929 Matthew Breen, PhD; North Carolina State University August 1, 2008 – July 31, 2011 Sponsor(s): Akita Club of America, Inc., American Bullmastiff Association, American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Charitable Trust, Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, Briard Club of America Health & Education Trust, Central New Jersey Hound […]

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Exploring Risk Factors for Canine Lymphoma

Introduction Lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs, and Boxers are especially at risk. But why? With funding from CHF Grant 02318: Genetic and Environmental Risk for Lymphoma in Boxer Dogs, investigators at the University of Wisconsin, Madison set out to learn more about the combinations of genetic mutations and toxin exposures that […]

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00768: A Collaborative Study by Veterinary Oncologists, Pathologists and Diagnostic Laboratories to Enhance the Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment of Canine Lymphoma

Grant Status: Closed Grant Amount: $40,816 Ted Valli, DVM; University of Illinois July 1, 2007 – December 31, 2012 Sponsor(s): Akita Club of America, Inc., American Belgian Tervuren Club, Inc., American Bullmastiff Association, American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Charitable Trust, American Sealyham Terrier Club, Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, Briard Club of America […]

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Advances in Canine Cancer: Lymphoma

What is Lymphoma? Lymphoma is cancer that begins in cells of the immune system found in lymph nodes. Lymphoma accounts for approximately up to 20% of all canine cancer and 80% of all canine blood cell malignancies. Lymphoma is generally seen in older dogs (median age, 6-9 years). Lymphoma progresses over time and is “staged” […]

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00615B: Heritable and Sporadic Genetic Lesions in Canine Lymphoma

The overall goal of this study was to use molecular cytogenetics to evaluate recurrent DNA copy number changes in canine lymphoma. Initially we aimed to evaluate 100 cases, but by merging data with a parallel study we were able to generate data from over 250 cases. This resulted in a substantial volume of data that […]

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00022101: Development of Anti-Canine Il-2Ra Antibodies Using CpG Oligodeoxynucleotide Vaccination

Despite progress in treating canine lymphoma, most affected dogs eventually develop resistance to chemotherapy and succumb to their disease. In human medicine, the ? subunit of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R?) has been developed as a target for Immunotherapy of chemoresistant lymphoma patients. Intensively studied as a molecule present on normal lymphocytes that are activated, IL-2R? […]

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02318: Genetic and Environmental Risk for Lymphoma in Boxer Dogs

Lymphoma is a fatal cancer of the blood cells that can occur in any dog. Lymphoma is more common in Boxers, Golden Retrievers, and several other purebreds, which suggests involvement of inherited genes. Recent research has focused on gene mutations in the tumors of dogs with lymphoma. However, we do not understand why these mutations […]

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03144: Lomustine, Asparaginase, Procarbazine and Prednisone (LAPP) for Canine Multicentric Lymphoma: A Practical Multiagent Chemotherapy Protocol that Avoids Injectable Cytotoxics

Lymphoma is one of the most common malignancies in dogs. Injectable multi-drug chemotherapy remains the standard of care, and is associated with high response rates and meaningful prolongation of life. However, a minority of dogs with lymphoma are treated with injectable chemotherapy, in part due to an inability of non-specialty practices to safely handle injectable […]

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01918-G: Discovery of Biomarkers to Detect Lymphoma Risk, Classify For Treatment, and Predict Outcome in Golden Retrievers

Lymphoma strikes 1 in 8 Golden Retrievers, approximately one-third of the cases being B-cell. While T-cell classifications currently inform therapy choices for dogs, B-cell classifications have been investigated little in Golden Retrievers. Dr. Jeffrey Bryan, in collaboration with Drs. Anne Avery and Heather Wilson will focus their efforts on an area of emerging importance in […]

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02885: Exposure to Environmental Chemicals in Boxers with Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a common and deadly cancer in dogs, and Boxers are one of several high-risk breeds. While breed-related risk for canine lymphoma is likely inherited, there is also epidemiologic evidence for environmental and potentially modifiable risk. Lymphoma correlates with areas of higher industrial activity in both humans and dogs, but the specific chemicals putting […]

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02772: Identifying Early Stage Ultra-rare Mutations as Predictive Biomarkers of Lymphoma in High-risk versus Low-risk Breeds Within the Dog Aging Project

The most common type of cancer in dogs is lymphoma, with ~80,000 cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Breeds vary in their risk of lymphoma, but it is unclear why there is variation despite considerable effort to identify the genetics of cancer risk and progression in dogs. Cancer typically arises from the accumulation of […]

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00615A: Heritable and Sporadic Genetic Lesions in Canine Lymphoma

It has been apparent for some time that certain dog breeds are prone to develop certain types of cancer. Specifically, studies completed between the late 1960’s and the early 1980’s defined relative risk of lymphoma for different dog breeds. Yet, there has been little progress since then to define factors that account for this risk. […]

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