Overview

Desmoid tumors (DT) are uncommon tumors that arise from musculoaponeurotic structures. Despite benign, they can cause pain and disability due to their tendency to be locally aggressive. Cryoablation, a technique used in interventional radiology, has gained popularity in recent years as a treatment option for sporadic DT. This involves repeated cycles of freezing, leading to cell death. Recent studies showed that percutaneous image-guided cryoablation appears to be safe and effective for local control for patients with extra-abdominal desmoid tumors.Although changes in the heterogeneity of tumors are commonly known, they are often ignored in response criteria that only evaluate tumor size in a single dimension, such as Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1). Nevertheless, MRI can reveal early changes in tumor heterogeneity in responding tumors, resulting from a reduction in cellular area and an increase in fibro-necrotic content, before any dimensional changes occur. These changes in heterogeneity can be quantified using a radiomics approach. The aim of this study is to develop radiomics response criteria dedicated to the evaluation of DT treated with cryoablation as a first line treatment and to compare their performance with those of alternative radiologic response criteria for predicting progression according to RECIST 1.1.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• desmoid tumor treated at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute with cryoablation
• baseline MRI
• clinical and radiologic follow-up until disease progression or the start of a new line of treatment performed every 3 months, with a minimum of 6 months follow-up

Exclusion Criteria:

• not meeting inclusion criteria