A COMPARISON OF DOXORUBICIN AND COP FOR MAINTENANCE OF REMISSION IN CATS WITH LYMPHOMA

Thirty-eight cats with lymphoma were treated with vincristine, cycloph osphamide, and prednisone (COP). They were randomized at entry to rece ive maintenance chemotherapy consisting of either single-agent doxorub icin or continued COP therapy, starting on week 4 of treatment and con tinuing for 6 months or until relapse, Eighteen cats achieved complete clinical remission after COP induction chemotherapy. The median remis sion duration for 11 cats continuing to receive COP was 83 days, which was significantly shorter than for 7 cats that received doxorubicin ( 281 days). Thus, doxorubicin should be considered a well-tolerated and efficacious agent for the maintenance of remission in cats with lymph oma. Copyright (C) 1996 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.