The dog as a possible animal model for human non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a review

Lymphoma represents the most frequent hematopoietic cancer in dogs, and it shows significant overlap with the human disease. Several environmental factors have been associated with canine lymphoma, suggesting that they may contribute to lymphomagenesis. Canine lymphoma often presents in advanced stage (III-V) at diagnosis and, most commonly, has an aggressive clinical course requiring prompt treatment, which relies on the use of polychemotherapy. In this review, we will summarize the state-of-the-art of canine lymphoma epidemiology, pathobiology, diagnostic work-up and therapy, and will highlight the links to the corresponding human disease, providing evidence for the use of dog as an animal model of spontaneous disease.