title: Aggressive fibromatosis of the abdominal wall, limbs and limb girdles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aggressive fibromatosis (AF) is a rare soft-tissue tumour. It is histologically benign but locally aggressive and destructive. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment. This was a review of patients treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital between 1986 and 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of patients with abdominal wall (23) and limb or limb girdle (86) AF were studied to determine patient, tumour and treatment characteristics and outcome. Children and patients with intra-abdominal AF were excluded. The data were analysed by Cox regression to calculate univariate hazard ratios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one (19.3 per cent) of 109 patients developed recurrence after a median follow-up of 39 months. Recurrence did not correlate with surgical margin or any other variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wide excisional, function-preserving surgery is the goal in treatment of AF. Surgery for recurrent disease is often curative. Tumours are frequently irresectable at presentation and an initial period of expectant observation is advisable because growth arrest is a common feature of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Sarcoma and Melanoma Unit, Department of Surgery, London SW3 6JJ, UK.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: A'Hern
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D034861:Abdominal Wall; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D018222:Desmoid Tumors / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012785:Shoulder Joint