Follow-up study of thymomas with special reference to their clinical stages

Cancer. 1981 Dec 1;48(11):2485-92. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19811201)48:11<2485::aid-cncr2820481123>3.0.co;2-r.

Abstract

Follow-up data were obtained for 96 cases of thymoma. The one-year survival rate was 84.3%, the three-year 77.1%, the five-year 74.1%, and the ten-year 57.1%. The five-year survival rate of total resection group was 88.9%; that of non-radically treated group was 44.4%. Clinical stages were defined: Stage I--macroscopically encapsulated and microscopically no capsular invasion; Stage II--1. macroscopic invasion into surrounding fatty tissue of mediastinal pleura, or 2. microscopic invasion into capsule; Stage III--macroscopic invasion into neighboring organ; Stage IVa--pleural or pericardial dissemination; Stage IVb--lymphogenous or hematogenous metastasis. Five-year survival rates of each clinical stage were 92.6% in Stage I, 85.7% in Stage II, 69.6% in Stage III, and 50% in Stage IV. Recurrence after total resection was found in six of 69 cases. Seven of 13 patients treated by subtotal resection survived more than five years with postoperative radiotherapy.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myasthenia Gravis / complications
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Thymoma / complications
  • Thymoma / pathology*
  • Thymoma / surgery