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Desmoid tumors – dangerous when not treated as cancer
Cancer Newsline - 02/04/2013
Desmoid tumors, also known as "aggressive fibromatosis," develop from fibroblasts which are found throughout the body. Desmoid tumors may become life threatening when they constrict vital organs such as kidneys, lungs or intestines. Some physicians consider desmoid tumors non-cancerous since they do not metastasize, but there is a danger of undertreating. Raphael Pollock, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson, explains this extremely rare cancer and its relationship to familial adenomatous polyposis (Gardner's Syndrome).