Desmoid fibromatosis; Problems in diagnosis and management: reappraisal

ABSTRACT

Twenty-nine patients with desmoid tumors were identified. Estrogen receptor assays were studied by the immunocytochemical method using monoclonal antibodies to human ER and highly sensitive streptavidin immunoperoxidase kit in ten patients. The clinical follow up was available for all patients with a range of 1-9 years. The duration of the follow up was less than one year from the time of resection in three patients. All lesions were treated initially with a surgical excision. Those patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy were treated with cobalt-60 units or a 4 MeV linear accelerator to 5-6 Gy. One patient received brachytherapy at the tumor site to 6 Gy. Another patient was treated with tamoxifen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after surgical resection. Pathology reports were reviewed in an attempt to evaluate the effect of histologic margins on subsequent tumor recurrences