1998 Volume 38 Issue 4 Pages 309-316
Thirty eight cases of thymic carcinoma were treated in National Chest Hospitals between 1986 and 1995. These cases included 22 squamous cell carcinomas and 7 undifferentiated carcinomas. We then analyzed these 2 histologic types retrospectively and investigated the relationship between treatment and prognosis. We applied Masaoka's clinical staging for thymoma. Squamous cell carcinoma consisted of 1 Stage I case, 6 Stage II cases, 7 Stage III cases, 3 Stage N a cases, and 5 Stage N b cases. In undifferentiated carcinoma, there were 3 Stage III cases, 1 Stage N a case, and 3 Stage N b cases. On interim analysis, the five year survival was 52% in squamous cell carcinomas and 35% in undifferentiated carcinomas. In stage I and II cases, it was considered that good prognosis would be expected following surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. In stage III or more advanced cases, it was suggested that induction therapy by concurrent chemoradiation followed by surgery would contribute to improvement of the results in treatment for thymic carcinoma.
