Abstract
Purpose. Deep fibromatoses are large, often rapidly growing
but benign soft tissue tumours. Although surgery is the mainstay of treatment, in
unremitting and aggressive cases the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy may produce
objective tumour responses. Fresh tumour samples from four patients with fibromatosis
were investigated as part of a study of drug resistance in soft tissue tumours.Methods. Following short-term culture of fibromatosis cells in vitro ,
chemosensitivity to 4-hydroperoxy-ifosfamide, the active form of ifosfamide and
doxorubicin was tested. Following 72-h continuous exposure to each drug,
surviving cell fraction was assessed using the lactate dehydrogenase assay.Results. Mean