title: Extended follow-up of patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy for intra-abdominal desmoid tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytotoxic chemotherapy can achieve a good initial response in inoperable desmoid tumors that have caused progressive obstruction of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts and have caused unrelenting pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have reviewed 8 patients (3 male) with desmoid tumors and familial adenomatous polyposis who underwent cytotoxic chemotherapy for inoperable gastrointestinal obstruction and/or uncontrolled pain. They were treated with doxorubicin and dacarbazine followed by carboplatin and dacarbazine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Follow-up after cytotoxic chemotherapy in the 7 patients for whom it was available was a mean of 42 (range 24-54) months. Two patients achieved complete remission after therapy. Four patients achieved a partial remission after completing all or some of the chemotherapy regimen; of these, three remained in stable remission, whereas the other was lost to follow-up. There were two recurrences that required further therapy; one of these patients was treated with further chemotherapy, which induced a second remission, and the other was treated with pelvic exenteration and has subsequently died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients had a substantial response to cytotoxic chemotherapy; however, two patients required additional therapy 24 and 30 months after cytotoxic chemotherapy, respectively. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is effective in producing short-term and long-term remission in these difficult patients.
authors.affiliation: Steve Atanas Starvo Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry, Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Poritz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blackstein
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallinger
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D011125:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D018221:Fibromatosis, Abdominal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D016190:Carboplatin