A Retrospective Comparison of Survival, Tumour Reduction and Relapse Outcomes Following Oclacitinib and CCNU Treatment in Dogs With Canine Epitheliotropic T-Cell Lymphoma.

Authors

Guanshen Brian Shen, Manijeh Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh, Esmaeil Ebrahimie, Evie Knight, Darren J Trott, Michael Shipstone

Published in

Veterinary dermatology. Aug 05, 2026. Epub Aug 05, 2026.

Abstract

Canine epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma (CETL) is an aggressive and generally incurable disease in dogs. CCNU (lomustine) is commonly used for management, even though it carries a significant risk of adverse effects. Several reports describe oclacitinib producing clinical improvement in affected dogs, yet comparative data between the two treatments are lacking.
To compare the clinical outcomes in dogs with CETL treated with oclacitinib or CCNU, focussing on tumour reduction (response), survival time and time-to-relapse.
This retrospective review (2008-2024) included 23 client-owned dogs with confirmed CETL treated with either CCNU (n = 11) or oclacitinib (n = 12). Outcomes included response (reduction in measurable tumour burden), survival (time from histopathological diagnosis to death) and time-to-relapse (for dogs with complete or good responses). Clinical presentation and adverse effects also were recorded. Additionally, sex, age and weight were compared between treatment groups to investigate potential confounding factors.
No statistically significant differences were identified between oclacitinib and CCNU for response, survival or time-to-relapse (p > 0.05 for all). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed no significant difference in overall survival (log-rank test, p = 0.20). Oclacitinib was associated with fewer adverse effects and reduced monitoring intensity.
These findings suggest oclacitinib may offer outcomes comparable to CCNU for CETL, with fewer adverse effects and less intensive monitoring. The small, retrospective sample limits firm conclusions, yet these results indicate that oclacitinib could be a reasonable, possibly safer palliative option warranting further prospective study.

PMID:
42554028
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 05 Aug 2026.

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