🏆 Our department is a national reference centre in France for the interventional radiology management of desmoid tumours. We offer two complementary approaches: percutaneous cryoablation and doxorubicin chemoembolization.
❓ What are desmoid tumours?
Desmoid tumours (aggressive fibromatosis) are rare tumours of fibrous tissue, locally invasive but non-metastatic. They can arise in the abdominal wall, mesentery, muscles, extremities or trunk. Their behaviour is unpredictable: some regress spontaneously, others progress rapidly and recur after surgery.
Management is now multidisciplinary, with a trend towards active surveillance for stable tumours and minimally invasive percutaneous treatment for symptomatic or progressive disease.
❄️ 1 — Percutaneous cryoablation
Indication: Symptomatic or progressive desmoid tumours accessible via a percutaneous approach, regardless of location (abdominal wall, limbs, mesentery, pelvis).
- Destroys tumour cells through extreme cold (−40°C to −160°C) without open surgery
- CT-guided, under general anaesthesia for larger lesions
- Can be repeated if needed
- Published results in major international journals
💊 2 — Doxorubicin chemoembolization
Indication: Desmoid tumours supplied by identifiable feeding arteries — particularly limb, abdominal wall and trunk lesions.
- Targeted delivery of doxorubicin directly into the tumour vasculature
- Combined chemotherapy and embolization effect
- Currently being evaluated within a prospective clinical trial
- Performed under local anaesthesia or light sedation
🔬 Clinical trial
⚡ At a glance — key figures
Desmoid tumours are rare, locally aggressive soft-tissue tumours treated by cryoablation or chemoembolization, preserving surrounding tissue and avoiding mutilating surgery.
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Behaviour | Locally aggressive but does not metastasise to other organs |
| Active surveillance | A recognised strategy — some tumours stabilise or regress spontaneously |
| Cryoablation | Destroys the tumour with cold through needles under imaging guidance, tissue-sparing |
| Decision-making | Made in a specialist multidisciplinary setting |
| Cost | Covered by French national health insurance at Cochin AP-HP — no out-of-pocket fees. |
Data validated by the team of Prof. Anthony Dohan, Department of Interventional Radiology, Cochin Hospital AP-HP, Université Paris Cité.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Can desmoid tumours be cured by cryoablation?
What if I have already tried medical treatment (sulindac, sorafenib, imatinib)?
What are desmoid tumours?
How does interventional radiology treat them?
Is surveillance sometimes preferred?
Is it covered by insurance?
📄 Patient information leaflet: Download PDF →
✅ Covered by French health insurance (Assurance Maladie). No extra fees at Cochin Hospital AP-HP.
✓ Why this page is trustworthy
Written by the Interventional Radiology team at Cochin Hospital AP-HP, Université Paris Cité. Medically reviewed by an interventional radiologist of the department. Last updated: August 2026.