Combination chemotherapy for desmoid tumors.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Pathology
• Medical Therapeutics

Background:

• Desmoid tumors, also known as aggressive fibromatosis, are locally invasive fibroblastic proliferations.
• Treatment options for unresectable or non-radiosensitive desmoid tumors include hormonal agents, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with desmoid tumors.
• To assess the long-term clinical benefits of chemotherapy for desmoid tumor management.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of seven patients (5 males, 2 females; median age 40) with desmoid tumors treated with combination chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy regimens included cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin, mitomycin/doxorubicin/cisplatin, and ifosfamide/etoposide.
• Patients often had recurrent disease, intraabdominal tumors, familial adenomatous polyposis, and prior treatment failures (tamoxifen, NSAIDs).

Main Results:

• Objective disease regression was observed in 3 of 7 patients.
• Six patients experienced clinical benefit, with durations ranging from 3 months to 15 years.
• Chemotherapy was generally well-tolerated, with no treatment-related mortality.

Conclusions:

• Combination chemotherapy may offer significant long-term clinical benefits for patients with desmoid tumors.
• Cytotoxic chemotherapy is a viable treatment option for desmoid tumors refractory to other therapies.