Fibrosarcoma


question:

 My 9 year old golden retriever was just diagnosed with Fibrosarcoma. What does that mean exactly and what can I expect. He had surgery this past Tuesday


answer:

Fibrosarcoma is a tumor of the connective tissue of the body.  Most Fibrosarcomas are very locally invasive, but slow to spread to other parts of the body.  "locally invasive' means that instead of having smooth edges to the tumor, it can send out microscopic finger like projections that make it impossible for a surgeon to tell where tumor ends and normal healthy tissue begins.  Potentially, a fibrosarcoma can be cured if all tumor cells are removed, but as I have described, that can be very difficult.  For some fibrosarcomas - the 'precancerous cells around it need to be removed up to 10 centimeters(about 6 inches) all around to cure it.  In many cases, this is impossible to do.  If a fibrosarcoma is on a limb - like a toe, the limb can be amputated in order to remove the entire tumor.  Since your vet has allready removed the tumor and has a biopsy report - he or she may want to do a second surgery to remove more tissue if the edges are not 'clean'.  If the edges are not clean - it will come back.  It depends on how aggressive it is how long that will take, but in my experience most fibrosarcomas are pretty nasty and often return quickly..  I usually don't want to wait for it to come back before I remove more tissue.  You may want to consult a veterinary oncologist for more options.  Some types of fibrosarcoma respond well to radiation treatment and/or chemotherapy. 

Ann O'Brien, DVM
Goleta , CA