title: Chemotherapy and targeted agents for thymic malignancies.
abstract: Thymic malignancies are rare epithelial tumors that may be aggressive and difficult to treat. Thymomas are usually localized to the anterior mediastinum and are frequently eligible for upfront surgical resection. However, nearly 30% of patients present with locally advanced tumors at time of diagnosis, and chemotherapy is then used to reduce the tumor burden, possibly allowing subsequent surgery and/or radiotherapy. Metastatic and recurrent thymic malignancies may similarly be treated with chemotherapy. More recently, the molecular characterization of thymoma and thymic carcinoma led to the identification of potentially druggable targets, laying the foundations to implement personalized medicine for patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Pilot Unit for the Management of Rare Intrathoracic Tumors, National Expert Center for Thymic Malignancies, Louis Pradel Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Avenue Doyen Lépine, Lyon, France. nicolas.girard@chu-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Girard
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D060830:Consolidation Chemotherapy; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1