Background: We are analyzing our experience with treatment of desmoid tumors of the chest wall and adjacent structures.
Methods: A retrospective review was undertaken of the records of all patients who underwent surgical management for a desmoid tumor of the chest between January 1980 and December 2001 at one institution. Fifty-three patients (24 men and 29 women) were identified, whose median age was 39 years (range 10 to 78 years).
Results: The desmoid tumor involved the chest wall exclusively in 25 patients (47%) and both the chest wall and adjacent structures in 28 (53%). Twenty-eight patients (53%) had previous resections for a desmoid tumor. Three patients also had previous radiation therapy. A wide radical resection was attempted in all 53 patients; resection was complete in 44. Seven patients had positive microscopic margins and 2 had gross residual disease. Complications were noted in 6 patients (11%); no operative deaths occurred. Median hospitalization was 6 days (range 1 to 124 days). Nineteen patients (36%) had postoperative radiation therapy (12 had complete resection and 7 had positive margins). Follow-up was complete in 51 patients (96%) and ranged from 2 weeks to 21 years (median 53 months). At the end of the review 46 patients were alive with no recurrence; 3 were alive with local recurrence and 2 died (1 from metastatic breast cancer and 1 from unknown cause). Five-year overall probability of developing a local recurrence was 37.5% (95% confidence interval, 20.2% to 53.3%). Recurrence occurred in 8 of 9 patients with positive margins (89%) and 8 of 44 with negative margins (18%). Factors adversely affecting the rate of postoperative recurrence were reoperation (p = 0.0199), positive margins (p < 0.0001), and postoperative radiation therapy (p = 0.0027). Eleven patients (22%) required reoperation at a median of 24.6 months postoperatively (range 11 to 78 months).
Conclusions: Desmoid tumors involving the chest and adjacent structures are locally aggressive tumors with a high recurrence rate. Wide radical resection should be attempted whenever possible. Positive margins at resection, reoperation and postoperative radiation are associated with a high risk of local recurrence.