Chlorambucil / Leukeran (For How Long, and How Often can this med be given?)

Hello all. I was wondering if anyone can offer some feedback as to the frequency and timeframe for which Leukeran/Chlorambucil can be used? Can anyone please tell me their experience with Leukeran dosing (frequency, mg, and for how long)?

Ive made a few (usually too wordy) posts on here about my kitty and his small cell lymphoma.

Hindsight is 20/20, and Im thinking now that we weren't aggressive enough with treatment earlier on.

So for how long and how often can chlorambucil be safely used? I like my vet alot, but he's not an oncologist and I think we're both kind of learning as we go through the process of trying to help my kitty.

Long story short, I found a vet assistant who is able to give my cat his Leukeran at home, almost effortlessly. Prior to this, Id have to drive him to the vet, it was a big process, stressful on cat (car, vet, barking dogs at vet's, et.).

So now that I have a helper that is able to give my cat Leukeran, Im still hopeful. We're on week 8 or so of a Leukeran/Steroid treatment for isolated small cell, nasal/orbital lymphoma. Again, if I knew what I know now, I would have wanted to give my cat more aggressive treatment from week 1.

*My vet mentioned to me today that I shouldn't give my cat another Leukeran for 3 weeks. This surprised me bc I didn't know there was a set time-frame. Is there? It made me sad to hear b/c frankly it's my cat's only hope! Originally, we gave him 3 Leukeran over the course of every 2 weeks. Then stepped it up to nearly every other day about 2.5 weeks ago (occassionally going 3 days between doses).

Today was the first time Ive given him Leukeran 3 days in a row (2mg doses).

He still has quality of life, but his symptoms have worsened, BUT he also may be getting better. He missed a steroid shot (we've been giving him shots bc he wouldnt eat oral pred, nor allow me to dose him). In any case, he's never fully rebounded like he used to after that missed steroid shot. Which is sad bc I think he'd be doing better if the steroid shot was given. Anyway...

We're trying one last "hoorah" so to speak and Im praying that I can continue giving my kitty Leukeran. Im not doubting my vet, more like trying to learn from the experience of others? Ive read many cats receive Leukeran daily. Can anyone please tell me their experience with Leukeran dosing (frequency, amount/mg, and for how long)? I promise everyone reading this I am attuned to my cat's well-being and quality of life! He's not doing the best, but he exhibits many positives and I think if he could talk he'd ask me to continue trying to help him!

Thank you SO much! Sorry for the long post!

You mention having a helper in administering Luekeran, but I wasn't sure what form it is in...

Georgie has been on 2 mg Luekeran pill for 14 months. She was not definitely diagnosed with small cell carcinoma, she was under anesthesia to be checked for what was thought to either be small cell carcinoma or inflammatory bowel. She started crashing during anesthesia (was age 15 at the time) and the vet brought her out of it, and we were without a diagnosis. She continued weight loss and issues, and it was decided to treat for both, in that the treatment of Luekeran (2 mg every other day) for small cell carcinoma and Predisone (1.7 ml every other day) went hand in hand.

We started the treatment in November of 2013 and almost immediately saw a difference, she gained about 2 pounds back and was doing well. It was not uncommon to have done "down" day a week, a day after treatment, that consisted of no purring, no scratching the scratching post or talking. That, has increased in the last two months.

The Luekeran we get is in a pill form and has to be kept refrigerated, I read here somewhere someone had success giving the predisone first, then following with the Luekeran 30 minutes to one hour later.

I did not ask, or hear a prognosis, or know how long we would be able to give Luekeran... in her case, we didn't think she would survive the end of 2013, and she had a great 2014...

She is in the specialist office today for echocardiogram and possibly a biopsy, as her "down" days had significantly increased.

This the second cat of ours in the last 3 years, that having health insurance made a huge, huge difference in the course of treatment decisions. You have to buy it when they are young and don't have any preexisting conditions...

That is great news!   Thanks for your reply!   How did the Specialist visit go?  I hope it went well!  *fingers crossed*     Thanks againg for taking the time to reply to my post!