title: Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma in the thymus.
abstract: Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma in the thymus is a rare cancer that is more aggressive and leads to a poorer prognosis than other thymic epithelial tumors. A 67-year-old woman presented with an anterior mediastinal mass in the thymus. Histological examination after thymectomy revealed large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma in the thymus. Although the patient received postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a distant relapse was detected 6 months after the surgery. We reviewed nine cases of this rare cancer that have been reported in Japan. There is no evidence of to support postoperative therapy for large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma in the thymus. However, it is essential to accumulate and study these cases to understand this disease and prolong patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Oji General Hospital, 3-4-8 Wakakusachyo, Tomakomai, Hokkaido 053-8506, Japan. mega@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mega
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oguri
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hazama
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed