Abstract
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 resection of thymic carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed.
Results:
Twelve of 22 patients underwent a resection (a complete resection in 11 and an incomplete 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.