Premium
A tentative tumor–node–metastasis classification of thymoma
Author(s) -
Yamakawa Yosuke,
Masaoka Akira,
Hashimoto Takahiko,
Niwa Hiroshi,
Mizuno Tsutomu,
Fujii Yoshitaka,
Nakahara Kazuya
Publication year - 1991
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(19911101)68:9<1984::aid-cncr2820680923>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - thymoma , medicine , stage (stratigraphy) , metastasis , mediastinal lymph node , lymph node , distant metastasis , pathology , lymph node metastasis , radiology , cancer , paleontology , biology
To establish a tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) classification of thymoma, 207 thymoma patients seen at the First Department of Surgery, Osaka University, and the Second Department of Surgery, Nagoya City University, were evaluated. Lymphogenous and hematogenous metastases of thymoma were infrequent, but their frequency increased with the duration of the course. Lymphogenous metastasis was observed in few cases, but it was considered to progress from anterior mediastinal lymph nodes to intrathoracic and then to extrathoracic lymph nodes. No particular characteristics were observed in hematogenous metastasis. On the basis of these observations, a TNM classification of thymoma was established and applied it to 207 thymoma cases, but it had little advantage over conventional clinical staging. High percentages of thymic carcinomas and thymic carcinoids were in Stage IVB, and the TNM classification of these tumors was considered to be more useful.