Prognostic factors in thymic epithelial neoplasms.
OBJECTIVE
The primary thymic epithelial neoplasms (PTENs) are uncommon tumours with a broad spectrum of both biological and morphological features. The aim of this study is to analyse the prognostic factors that influence survival.


METHODS
Forty-four patients with a complete follow-up were analysed. Nine patients (20.5%) were asymptomatic, the most common symptoms in the rest being myasthenia gravis and dyspnoea. All the patients underwent surgery, 30 cases (68.2%) receiving total thymectomy and the rest a partial resection or biopsy. Marino-Müller's histological classification showed the mixed type to be the most common (52.3%). Clinical staging was done according to the Masaoka classification, which gave the most common stage as stage III (34.1%).


RESULTS
Twelve patients died during a mean follow-up of 8.2 +/- 3.5 years. The accumulated survival rate was 77% at 5 years and 60% at 10 years. Analysis of the survival curves shows significant differences (P<0.05) when considering surgical technique, clinical staging and histological subtype. The multivariate analysis shows the only parameters with prognostic significance in PTENs to be clinical staging and histological type (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The most important prognostic factors in PTENs are Masaoka's clinical staging and Marino-Müller's histological subtype.
Ríos
A
A
Department of General Surgery and Digestive Apparatus I, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, 30120, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain. azrios@teleline.es
Torres
J
J
Galindo
P J
PJ
Roca
M J
MJ
Rodríguez
J M
JM
Sola
J
J
Parrilla
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods; D013945:Thymoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome