How long does prednisone treat cat lymphoma & affect endoscopy?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
1. How long will a cat with intestinal lymphoma respond to a "prednisone only" treatment? Will we see a response immediately, in a week, or longer? 2. I heard that starting prednisone may render endoscopy test unreliable, is this true?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 13th, 2018
1. Some cats can maintain a good quality of life with prednisolone (a metabolite of prednisone used more commonly than prednisone in cats) managing lymphoma for a year, but others may only maintain a good quality of life for a few weeks to months. The response is highly variable depending upon the type of lymphoma present and severity of clinical signs. Most cats will begin to show a response to prednisolone within the first week. 2. Yes, performing endoscopic biopsies with prednisolone treatment will make the results less reliable. Biopsy samples will be altered, preventing an accurate diagnosis. If endoscopy and biopsies will be performed, I always wait to start prednisolone until after this procedure. On another note, if chemotherapy may be performed, it is best to wait to start prednisolone until other chemotherapy drugs are also started. Starting prednisolone prior to other chemotherapy drugs hinders the effects of chemo.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on December 16th, 2017
Prednisone does have some mild chemotherapy properties when dealing with lymphoma. Small cell lymphoma seems to have a longer longevity compared to other forms. It does make them feel better and it can slow down the progression but it does not prevent it from spreading or replicating. You generally start at a higher dose and gradually back down to a lower long term dose which minimizes the risk of suppressing the immune system or aiding in metastasis. It does have potential it impact future biopsy results but once you have positive diagnosis, no further biopsies are needed. The effects are subtle and usually do not get rid of the diarrhea or increase weight. You may not recognize any changes truthfully as the work is affecting a cellular level. A good B vitamin such as cobalamin supplementation is also beneficial.
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