title: Does the mode of surgical resection affect the prognosis/recurrence in patients with thymoma?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among the various controversies in the treatment strategies for patients with thymoma, the optimal mode of resection needs to be defined. To explore whether or not the mode of resection affects the prognosis/recurrence in patients with thymoma, we evaluated the treatment outcome of patients with resected thymoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventy-three nonmyasthenic patients with stage I or II resected thymoma were studied. Patients were divided into two groups: a thymomectomy (resection of thymoma without total thymectomy) group (n = 100) and a thymothymomectomy (resection of thymoma with total thymectomy) group (n = 73). The differences in the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis between the two groups were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Myasthenia gravis developed postoperatively in three patients (3%) in the thymomectomy group and in 6 (8%) in the thymothymomectomy group. The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates in the thymomectomy group were 96.7% and 92.2%, and those in the thymothymomectomy group were 94.0% and 86.2%, respectively (P = 0.755). Two patients (2%) in the thymomectomy group and 4 (5%) in the thymothymomectomy group experienced recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no difference in prognosis/recurrence between the two groups. Thymothymomectomy might not always be necessary for nonmyasthenic patients with stage I or II thymoma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asamura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Shun-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: surgery; thymoma; thymomectomy; thymothymomectomy