[Treatment and course of desmoid tumors in 5 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis].

Four patients are described with familial adenomatous polyposis and an intra-abdominal desmoid tumour located in the mesentery of the small bowel; the fifth patient had a tumour in the abdominal wall. In all patients a colectomy had been performed several years prior to the development of the tumours. Radical resection of the desmoid tumours was not possible because of the location in the mesentery; repeated resection or partial excision was performed in all four patients. NSAIDs, tamoxifen, norethisterone and interferon alpha appeared to have only a temporary effect on the growth of the desmoid tumour. The effect of goserelin, a gonadorelin analogue, on the behaviour of the desmoid tumour appears promising, as two patients treated with it showed no tumour growth after 4 and 16 months respectively.