Results of a surgical resection for patients with thymic carcinoma.

Objectives: This study investigated the clinical features of patients with complete resection of thymic carcinoma.

Patients And Methods: The clinical records from 11 patients who underwent a complete re-section of thymic carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Twelve of 22 patients underwent a resection (a complete resection in 11 and an in-complete in 1). Six of the 11 patients with complete had confirmed recurrent tumors. The 5-year survival rate was 45.4%, and the median survival time was 50.6 months. The patients who underwent complete resection showed significantly better prognosis than cases with incomplete resection and inoperable cases (p = 0.048). Three of the 6 patients had a recurrence within 1 year. Frequent sites of recurrence were the pleura, pericardium, and lung.

Conclusions: A complete resection improved the prognosis of thymic carcinoma. Further prospective studies regarding postoperative adjuvant therapy are necessary to prevent local recurrence after a surgical resection for thymic carcinoma.