Thymic carcinoma natural history, complications and prognosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Marjan Khan M.B.B.S.[2]

Overview

Thymic carcinomas are generally considered indolent tumors due to long recurrence intervals (median of 68 months). The most common sites of distant recurrence are lung, liver, bone, kidney, brain, and bone marrow. The most important factor for prognosis is the stage and grade of the thymic carcinoma. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates in patients with thymic carcinoma are 38% and 28%, respectively. The subtypes squamous cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and basaloid carcinoma have a better prognosis than other histological subtypes. There are no reported cases of complications regarding the carcinoma by itself. Most complications occur during surgery and biopsy. The most important factor for prognosis is the stage and grade of the thymic carcinoma. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates in patients with thymic carcinoma are 38% and 28% respectively. Thymic malignancies are among the most common mediastinal primary tumors with up to 50% of anterior mediastinal masses proving to be of thymic descent. Invasive thymomas and thymic carcinomas are relatively rare tumors, which together represent about 0.2% to 1.5% of all malignancies.

Natural History

• Thymic carcinomas are generally considered indolent tumors due to long recurrence intervals (median of 68 months).
• Overall, for patients diagnosed with a resectable thymic tumor, 16% of them will recur after radical resection, either through local pleural or ganglionar recurrence or through distant metastatic spread.
• The most common sites of distant recurrence are lung, liver, bone, kidney, brain, and bone marrow.

Complications

• There are no reported cases of complications regarding the carcinoma by itself.
• Most complications occur during surgery and biopsy.

Prognosis

• The most important factor for prognosis is the stage and grade of the thymic carcinoma.
• The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates in patients with thymic carcinoma are 38% and 28% respectively.
• The subtypes squamous cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid, and basaloid carcinoma have a better prognosis than other histological subtypes.