title: Treatment and prognosis of type B2 thymoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because of the rarity of thymoma, no randomized trials have prospectively detected the prognosis and optimal treatment for type B2 thymoma. The aim of this study is to investigate the treatment and prognosis for patients with type B2 thymoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of 42 patients with type B2 thymoma who were treated between 1995 and 2010 in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The current study included 42 patients. The 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 62.8% and 84.9%, respectively. There were significant differences in disease-free survival and overall survival among different Masaoka stages (both P<0.001). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that Masaoka stage was associated with disease-free survival and overall survival (P=0.00 and 0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that Masaoka stage affects disease-free survival and overall survival of patients with type B2 thymoma.
authors.forename: Zhengbo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Xiangyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemotherapy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, 38 Guangji Road, Hangzhou 310022, China. yipingzhang@yahoo.cn.
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents