To remove or not to remove lumps on my dog?

Hi all, I’m really hoping to get some information and advice. My sincere apologies if this is not the appropriate sub for this question, I just really am hoping to get some insight. My 10 year old staffy girl has a few lumps on her chest around the end of her rib cage where her chest meets her stomach. One of the lumps has been there for a couple of years, but the other 2-3 are newish within the past year or so.

We took her to the vet yesterday to have them checked. Our vet fine needle aspirated them and wasn’t really able to get aspirate from one of them, but from what she could see from the others they are all lipomas. However, due to the location and being so near the mammaries, she highly recommends getting them removed.

I have heard horror stories about people electing to get lumps removed from their dog that turn out to be cancer and within months the dog is completely riddled with cancer and doesn’t live much longer. I’m deeply afraid that if any of the lumps on my dog *are* cancerous, then messing with them may just expedite metastases. Maybe that’s not even a realistic possibility but I’m scared.

Thoughts? Do I take the vet’s advice to err on the side of caution and remove the lumps, or just leave them be and monitor them? Do the benefits outweigh the risks to get the surgery? I am very very fortunate that the cost of the procedure is not a factor for me at this time. I will pay it if it will help my dog.

Thanks so much in advance.