Surgery is only offered for special cases where immediate symptom relief is needed. During surgery, we will remove the entire tumor and an area of healthy tissue around it (margin). Since desmoid tumors often grow again in the same place after surgery, we will monitor you regularly and suggest further treatments if needed.

During radiation therapy, we use high-energy X-rays to destroy the tumor. We may use radiation therapy when we’re not able to remove the entire tumor through surgery or if surgery isn’t possible. Since radiation therapy increases your cancer risk, we will discuss all risks and side effects with you before using this treatment.

During cryoablation, we freeze tumor cells to destroy them. We prefer cryoablation instead of surgery as most desmoid tumors recur following removal. We often use MRI to help target the tumor’s exact location. You may need several rounds of cryoablation to destroy the tumor.

During radiofrequency thermal ablation (RTA), we use heat to destroy tumor cells. We usually recommend RTA as an alternative to surgery.

We may recommend intravenous (IV) or oral medications to help treat desmoid tumors. You can use certain medications along with other treatments, such as surgery and radiation therapy. Or you can take other medications alone. Medications we use include:

• Chemotherapy: We may use these powerful medications to treat desmoid tumors that grow quickly.
• Hormone therapy: We may use hormones to slow or stop the growth of tumor cells. For instance, tamoxifen can block your cells’ ability to use estrogen, which may reduce the growth of desmoid tumors. However, recent data shows that hormonal blockade may not be as effective as once thought.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen may help shrink the inflammation component of desmoid tumors and lessen side effects like swelling and pain.
• Targeted therapy: Targeted therapies affect genes or proteins that cause desmoid tumors to grow. We may suggest tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as imatinib or sorafenib, to block proteins called kinases. This treatment may prevent desmoid tumors from growing or cause them to shrink.