Weekly chemotherapy with cisplatin, vincristine, doxorubicin, and etoposide followed by surgery for thymic carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
We present our experience treating the patients with thymic carcinoma using induction chemotherapy according to weekly chemotherapy with cisplatin, vincristine, doxorubicin, and etoposide (CODE) followed by surgery.


METHODS
From January 2001 to December 2010, 17 patients were diagnosed as having thymic carcinoma at our hospital. We performed CODE chemotherapy for induction treatment followed by surgical resection in 7 of these patients.


RESULTS
Seven patients consisted of 6 men and 1 woman, with an average age of 47.3 years (range 25-67 years). Five patients were clinically staged as Masaoka Stage III, and 2 were Stage IVa. A partial response was identified in 5 patients, and stable disease was observed in 2 patients. No cases of progressive disease were seen. Surgical resection was performed in all the patients: 6 underwent an R0 resection and 1 underwent an R1 resection. The estimated overall survival rates at 5 and 10 years were both 80%, and the relapse-free survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 68.6% and 53.6% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Induction chemotherapy using the CODE regimen, followed by a complete surgical resection can be performed with a promising survival outcome for patients with thymic carcinoma with borderline resectable lesions.
Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization Okinawa Hospital, Okinawa, Japan. Electronic address: hkawasaki-ths@umin.ac.jp.
H
H
Kawasaki
Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization Okinawa Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
N
N
Taira
Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization Okinawa Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
T
T
Ichi
Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization Okinawa Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
T
T
Yohena
Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization Okinawa Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
T
T
Kawabata
Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization Okinawa Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
K
K
Ishikawa
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000628:therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000628:therapy*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin
Induction chemotherapy; Thymic carcinoma; Weekly chemotherapy