Follow-up study of thymomas with special reference to their clinical stages

TLDR

Follow‑up data from 96 thymoma cases were analyzed, with clinical stages defined from I to IV based on extent of invasion and dissemination. Survival was 84.3% at one year, 77.1% at three years, 74.1% at five years, and 57.1% at ten years; total resection yielded a five‑year survival of 88.9% versus 44.4% for non‑radical treatment, with stage‑specific five‑year rates of 92.6% (I), 85.7% (II), 69.6% (III), and 50% (IV); recurrence after total resection occurred in 6 of 69 cases, while 7 of 13 subtotal resections with postoperative radiotherapy survived beyond five years.

Abstract

Follow-up data were obtained for 96 cases of thymoma. The one-year survival rate was 84.3%, the three-year 77.1%, the five-year 74.1%, and the ten-year 57.1%. The five-year survival rate of total resection group was 88.9%; that of non-radically treated group was 44.4%. Clinical stages were defined: Stage I—macroscopically encapsulated and microscopically no capsular invasion; Stage II—1. macroscopic invasion into surrounding fatty tissue or mediastinal pleura, or 2. microscopic invasion into capsule; Stage III—macroscopic invasion into neighboring organ; Stage IVa—pleural or pericardial dissemination; Stage IVb—lymphogenous or hematogenous metastasis. Five-year survival rates of each clinical stage were 92.6% in Stage I, 85.7% in Stage II, 69.6% in Stage III, and 50% in Stage IV. Recurrence after total resection was found in six of 69 cases. Seven of 13 patients treated by subtotal resection survived more than five years with postopertive radiotherapy.