DESMOID TUMORS OF THE TRUNK AND EXTREMITY

Background. Twenty-six patients with desmoid tumors of the extremities (n = 20) or trunk (n = 6) have been treated since 1977. Nine of these were referred with primary tumors and 17 with recurrent tumors. Metho ds. The tumor was removed in all patients, and 10 received adjuvant ra diation. Five patients (19%) developed local recurrence; one of them w as lost to follow-up, and the remaining four patients had the recurren ce controlled with surgical resection or resection plus adjuvant radia tion. Results. All 25 patients who have been followed are alive and di sease-free at a mean follow-up of 84 months (median, 81 months). None with extremity tumors (n = 20) required an amputation. The estimated s urvival rate for the entire group is 95% at 42 months. Conclusions. De smoid tumor of the trunk or extremities treated with surgical resectio n, supplemented selectively by adjuvant radiation, can be controlled l ocally in the majority (96%) of patients.