title: Effective treatment of thymic carcinoma with operation and combination chemotherapy against acute monocyte leukemia: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Thymic carcinoma associated with acute monocyte leukemia (AMoL) and a history of choriocarcinoma was diagnosed in a 58-year-old female. We found no other such case in a literature search. She was first treated with DCMP therapy: daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside, 6MP-riboside, and prednisolone against AMoL. After induction chemotherapy, complete AMoL remission was attained. Chest CT scan after chemotherapy revealed regression of the mediastinal tumor. Resection of the tumor included the left upper lobe of the lung, phrenic nerve and pericardium. Pathological diagnosis showed poorly or moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Although the patient died of pneumonia during chemotherapy for relapsed AMoL, chest X-ray and CT revealed no recurrence of the mediastinal tumor after the original operation. Judging from this case and other successful cases of chemotherapy, we feel that intensive chemotherapy may be a beneficial strategy against thymic carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitami
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsuya
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007948:Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D011239:Prednisolone; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D003630:Daunorubicin