They can be unsightly and potentially disfiguring–but equine sarcoids hold a special attraction for Bruce Wobeser, DVM, of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Pathology. The potential for finding a more effective way to treat equine sarcoids prompted Wobeser to take another look at this ugly problem.

"In most cases, they’re slow-growing tumors: some resolve spontaneously while some get worse. And then there’s a proportion of equine sarcoids that just go wild and become huge," Wobeser said. "If they develop in a bad place, that can be very bad news. For example, a horse can go blind if a sarcoid grows around the eye area, and in some cases, you might even lose the horse."

Getting rid of sarcoids is challenging since tumors often come back after treatment. Even worse, conducting biopsies or surgically removing some types of tumors can trigger more rapid growth.

"If nothing else, it would be good to be able to make a prognosis so you can decide which ones to leave alone and which ones to treat," explained Wobeser. "If we could come up with other treatment options, it would be even better