title: The long-term survival of a thymic carcinoma patient treated with S-1: a case report and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thymic carcinoma is a rare neoplasm of the thymus. Systemic chemotherapy is an important therapeutic modality for thymic carcinoma. However, no standard chemotherapy for this carcinoma has yet been established. The usefulness of second-line or later-line chemotherapy has remained unclear. A case of relapsed thymic carcinoma that was successfully treated by S-1 as second-line chemotherapy is reported herein.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 73-year-old man diagnosed as having thymic carcinoma was treated with three cycles of first-line chemotherapy with ADOC (cisplatin, doxorubicin, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide) and additional radiotherapy (50 Gy). Since his serum cytokeratin 19 fragment level increased suddenly after 3 months of stable disease, he was considered to have progressive disease, and was given S-1 as chemotherapy. Two months later, he had partial response, and the S-1 treatment has been continued since July 2009. Progression-free survival of greater than 4 years was obtained with S-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A case of relapsed thymic carcinoma that was treated with S-1, and continues to show a long progression-free survival with good quality of life on treatment is described. S-1 might be an active agent against relapsed thymic carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Nephrology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Nephrology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Nephrology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kageaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taima
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Nephrology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Nephrology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Medicine, Hachinohe City Hospital, Tamukaibishamontai, Hachinohe, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurose
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Nephrology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.affiliation: Hirosaki University, Health Administration Center, Bunkyo, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takanashi
keywords: S-1; thymic carcinoma; thymidylate synthase