Canine lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs, and while often not curable, chemotherapy protocols can achieve remission and maintain quality of life for extended periods in many affected dogs.
Canine lymphoma management is one of the areas of veterinary oncology where quality of life can be genuinely maintained through treatment. Dogs tolerate CHOP chemotherapy far better than human patients — most continue eating, exercising, and engaging normally during treatment. The welfare goal of chemotherapy in dogs is not cure but rather achieving good-quality remission time. Owner education about what chemotherapy will and will not achieve, combined with regular quality of life assessment using validated tools, enables informed decisions about continuing or discontinuing treatment. Palliative care options including prednisolone and supportive medication should always be discussed as alternatives to aggressive treatment.