In dogs with Fibromatosis on the chest, is radiation or chemotherapy effective?

Question

I have a 5-yr old Golden Retriever with it. We are getting a consultant to talk to about possible treatments, but I wish to know a little more about the condition.

How long do dogs survive from the time of a recurrance?
Is Fibromatosis fatal?
Is radiation or chemo effective against Fibromatosis?
If excision alone by local vets is ineffective and recurrance occurs, is it worth it to get a "better" vet to do more intense surgery followed by radiation, or should we leave the growth as is?

My Golden Retriever shows no signs of pain, and (besides Fibromatosis) is in very good health. We love her very much and are willing to spend the money on radiation or chemotherapy, but we still don't know whether or not it is worth it.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer 1

It really depends on how advanced the disease is. Excision by local vets is fine, and even with a "better" vet, the tumor may return. You should really discuss this with your vet who knows her history, none of us know the history and none of us are vets (some are vet techs, but that isn't enough training to really give you the answers you want).

Answer 2

Fibromatosis (aggressive fibromatosis, extra-abdominal desmoids, desmoid tumors, low-grade fibrosarcomas, nodular fasciitis) is a sclerosing and infiltrative proliferation of well-differentiated fibroblasts derived from aponeuroses and tendon sheaths. They are generally seen on the heads of dogs, especially Doberman Pinschers and Golden Retrievers, where they are commonly diagnosed as nodular fasciitis. In veterinary medicine, the term nodular fasciitis is applied to 2 different diseases—one that behaves as a fibromatosis and one that commonly affects the periocular tissues (known as canine fibrous histiocytoma [see Fibrohistiocytic Tumors]). Fibromatoses are infrequently diagnosed in cats and horses. Grossly, fibromatoses are generally indistinguishable from infiltrative fibrosarcomas; however, they can be differentiated on histologic examination. Focal lymphoid nodules are scattered throughout the tissues. The fibromatoses are locally infiltrative with essentially no metastatic potential. If feasible, excision is the treatment of choice. Recurrence is common, and radiation therapy may be of value for local control.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/72217.htm

Answer 3

leave everything to the veterinary