Lymphoma Foundation Canada Website:
What are the risk factors for NHL?
What causes people to develop NHL is not presently known. People with the following risk factors may have an
increased chance of developing NHL:
• Previous infections with viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human
T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and hepatitis C
• Chemical exposure including pesticides, fertilizers or solvents
• Autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjögren’s syndrome
• Previous organ transplant
• Infections with certain bacteria including Helicobacter pylori
• A family history of NHL.
It is not known with certainty that NHL can be inherited through family history. Furthermore it is important to note
that having these risk factors does not mean NHL will develop. Many people diagnosed with NHL have absolutely no
risk factor
DOG HEALTH by lowchensaustralia.com
How did my dog get lymphoma?
We do not know how dogs (or people for that matter) get cancer most of the time. There are many types of cancer and many possible causes of cancer (chemicals in our environment, sun exposure, assorted viruses and infections). There are important genetic factors as well. Cancer starts with one or a small group of cells that have “gone wrong.” It appears that such cells arise in our bodies all the time and we have an assortment of natural mechanisms to destroy these cells before they get out of hand. Sometimes these cancer cells escape our natural mechanisms and cancer develops. It is important to realize that cancer is not contagious and that, as a pet owner, you should not feel that you caused this or brought it on your pet somehow.
Many people feel a need to find blame and latch onto the idea that a household cleaner or pesticide was the cause. This is a natural part of grieving but it is important not to focus on cause unduly. Cause is not relevant to treatment; further, there is no way to verify cause
. It is best to concentrate on treatment. At this time, there is no way to know what caused lymphoma development in a given patient.
Lymphoma in Dogs”>Dog Health Link
AMERICAN SOCIETY of HEMATOLOGY:
For comparison, data were obtained from a large MGUS-screening study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, and the results from the pesticide-exposed group were compared with the assessments of 9,469 men from the general population of Olmsted County, Minnesota. The two groups were similar in terms of age, race, and educational attainment. Because of the low prevalence of women among workers who apply pesticides, women were excluded from the study.
In the pesticide-exposed group, no MGUS cases were observed among those who were less than 50 years of age, but the prevalence of MGUS in those older than 50 was 6.8 percent, which is 1.9 times higher than the general population study group of men in Minnesota.
The researchers also evaluated the potential association between MGUS prevalence and 50 specific pesticides for which usage data were known. Of the chemicals studied, a significantly increased risk of MGUS was observed among users of dieldrin (an insecticide), carbon-tetrachloride/carbon disulfide (a fumigant mixture), and chlorothalonil (a fungicide).
The MGUS risk for these agents increased 5.6-fold, 3.9-fold, and 2.4-fold, respectively. Several other insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides were associated with MGUS, but not significantly.