Advanced stage thymomas and thymic carcinomas: results of multimodality treatments.
BACKGROUND
With the aim of evaluating the results of multidisciplinary approaches, we reviewed our experience in multimodality treatment of advanced stage (III and IVA) thymic tumors.


METHODS
From 1976 to 2003, 56 patients with Masaoka stage III and IVA thymic tumors underwent a multimodality treatment. Thirty-six patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and postoperative radiotherapy; 20 patients were treated by primary surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (n = 12), chemotherapy (n = 1) or chemoradiotherapy (n = 7). The neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of three courses of cisplatin, epidoxorubicin, and etoposide every 3 weeks. Adjuvant radiotherapy consisted of 45 Gy for complete resections or 60 Gy for incomplete resections.


RESULTS
The preoperative diagnosis of invasive thymomas was performed in a total of 29 cases: 15 by mediastinotomy, 6 by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and 8 by fine-needle aspiration. In 27 cases no diagnosis was available, but in most of them a thymus-related syndrome was present. Thirty-four patients are still alive (31 disease-free), and 22 have died (2 disease-free). Ten-year survival was 48% and 45.7% for stage III and IVA thymomas, respectively. The presence of myasthenia gravis (p = 0.04) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.004) affected survival significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
The multimodality treatment of stage III and IVA thymic tumors allows a good long-term outcome; the neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves the resectability rate and the survival of both stages of the disease.
Lucchi
Marco
M
Division of Thoracic Surgery, Cardiac and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. m.lucchi@med.unipi.it
Ambrogi
Marcello Carlo
MC
Duranti
Leonardo
L
Basolo
Fulvio
F
Fontanini
Gabriella
G
Angeletti
Carlo Alberto
CA
Mussi
Alfredo
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013945:Thymoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015251:Epirubicin; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin