Treatment

Treatments for desmoid tumors include:

• Monitoring the growth of the tumor. If your desmoid tumor causes no signs or symptoms, your doctor may recommend monitoring the tumor to see if it grows. You may undergo imaging tests every few months. Some tumors never grow and may never require treatment. Some tumors may shrink on their own without any treatment.
• Surgery. If your desmoid tumor causes signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend an operation to remove the entire tumor and a small margin of healthy tissue that surrounds it. But sometimes the tumor grows to involve nearby structures and can't be completely removed. In these cases, surgeons may remove as much of the tumor as possible.
• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-powered beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy may be recommended instead of surgery if you're not healthy enough for surgery or if the tumor is located in a place that makes surgery risky. Radiation therapy is sometimes used after surgery if there's a risk that the tumor might return.

• Chemotherapy and other medications. Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill tumor cells. Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy if your desmoid tumor is growing quickly and surgery isn't an option.

  Several other drug treatments have shown promise in people with desmoid tumors, including anti-inflammatory drugs, hormone therapies and targeted therapies.