title: [Comparison of the Masaoka-Koga and The IASLC/ITMIG Proposal for The TNM  Staging Systems Based on the Chinese Alliance for Research in Thymomas (ChART) Retrospective Database].
abstract: To compare the predictive effect of the Masaoka-Koga staging system and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)/the International Thymic Malignancies Interest Group (ITMIG) proposal for the new TNM staging on prognosis of thymic malignancies using the Chinese Alliance for Research in Thymomas (ChART) retrospective database.
  
  
  
  From 1992 to 2012, 2,370 patients in ChART database were retrospectively reviewed. Of these, 1,198 patients with complete information on TNM stage, Masaoka-Koga stage, and survival were used for analysis. Cumulative incidence of recurrence (CIR) was assessed in R0 patients. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated both in an R0 resected cohort, as well as in all patients (any R status). CIR and OS were first analyzed according to the Masaoka-Koga staging system. Then, they were compared using the new TNM staging proposal.
  
  
  
  Based on Masaoka-Koga staging system, significant difference was detected in CIR among all stages. However, No survival difference was revealed between stage I and II, or between stage II and III. Stage IV carried the highest risk of recurrence and worst survival. According to the new TNM staging proposal, CIR in T1a was significantly lower comparing to all other T categories (P<0.05) and there is a significant difference in OS between T1a and T1b (P=0.004). T4 had the worst OS comparing to all other T categories. CIR and OS were significantly worse in N(+) than in N0 patients. Significant difference in CIR and OS was detected between M0 and M1b, but not between M0 and M1a. OS was almost always statistically different when comparison was made between stages I-IIIa and stages IIIb-IVb. However, no statistical difference could be detected among stages IIIb to IVb.
  
  
  
  Compared with Masaoka-Koga staging, the IASLC/ITMIG TNM staging proposal not only describes the extent of tumor invasion but also provides information on lymphatic involvement and tumor dissemination. Further study using prospectively recorded information on the proposed TNM categories would be helpful to better grouping thymic tumors for predicting prognosis and guiding clinical management. .
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450008, China.
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Zhitao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450008, China.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266001, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266001, China.
authors.forename: Yucheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Lijie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Yongtao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China.
authors.forename: Renquan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Cancer Hospital, Beijing 100142, China.
authors.forename: Ke-Neng
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Hezhong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, Shenyang 110042, China.
authors.forename: Yongyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Youbing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Liewen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Department of Esophageal Cancer, Tianjin Cancer Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Zhentao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, China.
authors.forename: Xinming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangxi People's Hospital, Nanchang 330006, China.
authors.forename: Yangchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013945:Thymoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery