A trial looking at radiotherapy for desmoid tumours that cannot be removed with an operation (EORTC 62991 - 22998)

This trial tried to find out how well radiotherapy worked as a treatment for desmoid tumours.

Desmoid tumours are also sometimes called aggressive fibromatosis. This rare tumour grows in fibrous tissue. This tumour is not a cancer in that it does not spread to other parts of the body and it is not a life threatening disease. But desmoid tumours can cause problems because they can come back (recur) in the same place after treatment and they can be quite aggressive.

Desmoid tumours are usually treated with surgery. If an operation is not possible, radiotherapy is sometimes used.

Doctors didn’t know how successful radiotherapy was in treating this type of tumour. This was because so few people have this disease and are given radiotherapy.

The aim of this international study was to find out if radiotherapy worked to treat desmoid tumours.