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Thymoma. A clinicopathologic review
Author(s) -
Lewis Jean E.,
Wick Mark R.,
Scheithauer Bernd W.,
Bernatz Philip E.,
Taylor William F.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19871201)60:11<2727::aid-cncr2820601125>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - medicine , thymoma , metastasis , myasthenia gravis , thorax (insect anatomy) , distant metastasis , lung , thymectomy , surgery , pathology , cancer , anatomy
The clinical and pathologic features of 283 patients with thymoma treated at the Mayo Clinic (147 female and 136 male; ages 16 years to 90 years; mean, 52 years) were examined. Forty‐six percent of the patients had myasthenia gravis and 10% had other paraneoplastic phenomena. The tumors were locally invasive at operation in 32%, including 6% with metastasis to lung or pleura. Intrathoracic recurrence was noted postoperatively in 15% of those who had total excision and distant metastasis developed in 3% of patients. Thirteen percent died of their thymomas and 16% died of myathenia. Overall 5‐year survival was 67% and 10‐year survival was 53%. Poor prognostic factors included presence of tumor‐related symptoms, large tumor size, local invasion or metastasis in initial operation, and predominantly epithelial histologic features. Although true thymomas are composed of cytologically benign elements, they show a propensity for local invasion and intrathoracic recurrence. They rarely metastasize outside the thorax.