What is a Desmoid Tumor?
The word “desmoid” comes from the Ancient Greek word “desmos” which means “bound”. Thus this is a tumor which ties or binds organs. It is a tumor with a “benign” structure which can appear at any time in any organs: it develops mostly from muscle aponevrosis (limb, thoracic wall, abdomen), creating kind of “bounds” without apparent reason except for kids born with a history of family digestive polyps. The tumor is most of the time cured through surgery, sometimes at the cost of mutilations; in some cases it may recur locally – then it is called “aggressive fibromatosis”- : new surgery, radiotherapy, medical treatment like anti-inflammatory medications, certain hormons or even cancer chemotherapy can stabilize the evolution and the outbreaks. It is neither a real benign tumor, nor strictly speaking a cancer. Its origin is unknown. The scarcity of cases limits the results: that is why a worldwide cooperation is necessary to understand the mechanism which generates this serious, often inv
A desmoid tumor is a non-cancerous tumor that does not spread throughout the rest of the body. Diagnosed mainly in people between the ages of 15 and 60, it commonly forms in the tissue of ligaments and tendons within the legs, arms, and torso but can also develop in the head and neck. This tumor, which has the appearance of scar tissue, can invade surrounding tissues, causing organs to be destroyed. Scientists do not know what causes desmoid tumors, but they are often diagnosed in people who have a family history of a colon cancer called polyposis coli. They are difficult to remove in patients because they wrap around organs and internal structures of the body. Although the disease progresses slowly, it can be fatal if not effectively treated. Symptoms of a desmoid tumor include swelling, a painful lump, pain in the bowels, muscle pain, and limping. The symptoms vary according to the size and location of the desmoid tumor. When a physician suspects that the patient is suffering from th
