Thymoma: results of 241 operated cases

Clinical and histopathological aspects of 241 thymomas were reviewed. One hundred sixty of the patients with thymoma had myasthenia gravis and 15 had other autoimmune diseases; 55% of the thymomas were encapsulated and 45% invasive. Operation was radical resection in 87.5% of the patients, subtotal resection with residual tumor in 8.7%, and simple biopsy in 3.7%. A tumor relapse was observed in 24 patients (10%): 2 (1.5%) of 133 with encapsulated thymomas and 22 (20.4%) of 108 with invasive thymomas; among these patients, a relapse was found in 20.6% of the patients who received radiotherapy postoperatively and in 24.6% who did not. Adverse prognostic factors were clinical stage IVa (multiple pleural nodes), not feasible resection (for technical reasons), inoperable tumor relapse, and association with one of the following autoimmune diseases: pure red cell aplasia, hypogammaglobulinemia, and lupus erythematosus. Conversely, myasthenia gravis is now a curable disease; it contributes to early discovery of associated thymoma, thus allowing a better survival for patients with thymoma who have myasthenia gravis compared with patients with thymoma but without myasthenia gravis (p less than 0.05). Postoperative radiotherapy does not seem necessary after removal of encapsulated thymomas, but it is advisable in case of invasive thymomas, regardless of the extent of the resection.     

Surgical treatment of thymoma.

OBJECTIVE: To describe experience with the surgical treatment of thymoma. DESIGN: A retrospective study. Setting: A teaching hospital at the University of Ottawa. PATIENTS: Over 25 years, 42 consecutive patients (22 men, 20 women) who had a thymoma requiring operation. INTERVENTIONS: Thymectomy. OUTCOME MEASURES: Age, sex, association with myasthenia gravis, presence of a paraneoplastic syndrome, extent of surgical resection, tumour size, histologic features of the tumour, clinical staging of the thymoma and short- and long-term outcome after surgery. RESULTS: The mean (and standard deviation) age of the patients was 52.8 (12.5) years. Thirteen patients had myasthenia gravis. With respect to tumour staging, 24 patients had stage I, 7 had stage II and 11 had stage III disease. Three patients were lost to follow-up. Radiotherapy was used as an adjunct to surgical treatment in 83% of patients with stages II and III disease. Fifty-one percent of patients available for follow-up survived 175.1 months, and the cumulative 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 87.3% and 81.4% respectively. Only 1 patient died of metastatic thymoma. Complete or partial remission of myasthenia gravis was seen in 10 (77%) affected patients. Mixed cellular histologic features and a tumour size of less than 115 cm3 were more commonly seen with stage I disease. CONCLUSIONS: Thymomas are characterized by slow growth and prolonged survival even in patients with invasive disease as long as the tumour is resected completely and treatment is accompanied by radiotherapy.     

Reoperation for thymoma: report of 23 cases

Twenty-three patients underwent reoperation for thymoma at intervals of 2 months to 17 years 10 months after the initial operation. There were no operative or hospital deaths. Myasthenia gravis occurred in 12 patients, but in only 2 was it a determinant for reoperation. The longest survival after reoperation is 12 years 9 months, and that patient is free from tumor. Four distinct surgical groups emerged, and their recognition provides an improved method of reporting and suggests a strategy for better overall management. Group 1 (n = 5) had completion of thymectomy (reoperation) after thymomectomy alone or after incomplete thymectomy. The interval was 2 months to 17 years 10 months. All 5 had myasthenia gravis. At reoperation, thymomas were found in 3 and a hyperplastic thymus in 2. Four are alive and tumor free 2 years to 8 years 2 months after reoperation. One died tumor free after 5 years. Group 2 (n = 8) had reoperation for recurrent thymoma after standard (presumably complete) resection. The interval was 2 years to 13 1/2 years. Four had myasthenia gravis. Four are alive 8 months to 5 years 8 months after reoperation, 3 without detectable tumor. Four died 3 years 3 months to 8 years 4 months after reoperation, 3 free from tumor. Group 3 (n = 8) underwent reoperation for initially unresectable thymoma after adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both. The interval was 3 months to 4 years 8 months. Three had myasthenia gravis. Six are alive 4 months to 4 years after reoperation, only 1 with tumor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

胸腺瘤的诊断、治疗和预后

目的：探讨影响胸腺瘤的诊断,治疗及预后的相关因素。方法：回顾性分析116例胸腺瘤的临床资料,运用寿命表法计算其生存率,以生存,复发或转移率为指标,进行研究。结果：胸部X线等影像学检查是本病诊断的主要手段,重症肌无力是最常见的伴随疾病,发生率为25．0％（29／116）。扩大胸腺及胸腺瘤切除可降低Ⅰ、Ⅱ期肿瘤的复发率（x^2=4.941,P=0.0219),放疗和化疗等综合治疗可以提高疗效。组织学分型（M－H）法与临床分期有明显的相关性,能更有效地反映胸腺瘤的侵袭性(=0.385,P=0.007),本组患者3,5,10年生存率分别为81．2％,67．9％和40．5％,肿瘤分期与生存率明显呈负相关（r=-0.897,P=0.000)。结论：肿瘤的组织类型,病理分期及综合治疗方法是影响患者预后的重要因素,伴随疾病对患者的预后无明显影响。     

Thymoma

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the prognostic factors for thymoma that remain controversial. METHODS: We studied 72 consecutive patients treated for thymoma during the period between 1966 and 1997. Recurrence-free interval rates and overall survival rates calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method were compared using log-rank test by the Masaoka stage, extent of surgical resection, histology, or associated disease(s). Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox's proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Thirty-two thymomas were at Masaoka stage I, 9 at stage II, 15 at stage III, and 16 were at stage IV. There were 56 complete resections, 7 incomplete resections (2 at stage III and 5 at stage IV), and 9 biopsies (1 at stage III and 8 at stage IV). Forty-one thymomas were cortical, 16 medullary, and 15 were mixed form. Association of myasthenia gravis was found in 20 patients, and pure red cell aplasia in 7. After an average follow-up period of 103 months, the recurrence-free 5-, 10-, 15-year interval rate was 89%, 80%, 80%, respectively, and overall 5-, 10-, 15-year survival rate was 86%, 71%, 59%, respectively. Factors influencing the recurrence-free interval and overall survival included the Masaoka stage, extent of surgical resection, and association with pure red cell aplasia. Multivariate analysis revealed stage IV tumor and association with pure red cell aplasia as risk factors for recurrence. Pure red cell aplasia indicated poor prognosis for overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Masaoka stage, extent of surgical resection, and association with pure red cell aplasia were prognostic factors for thymoma. Multidisciplinary treatment for stage IV tumors and better control of pure red cell aplasia, if associated, should be investigated.     

胸腔镜手术切除胸腺瘤治疗重症肌无力

目的探讨胸腔镜手术治疗胸腺瘤伴重症肌无力的可行性。方法2005年7月-2006年2月，采用电视胸腔镜在双腔气管插管静脉复合麻醉下行胸腺、胸腺瘤切除术10例，胸腺瘤最大6cm×4cm×3cm。于腋中线第5肋间做1cm胸腔镜口，腋前线与锁骨中线中点第4肋间做3cm主操作孔，腋前线第6肋间做1．5cm辅助操作孔。术中沿胸廓内动脉与锁骨下动脉分叉下方、胸廓内动脉内侧，剪开纵隔胸膜暴露同侧胸腺及部分对侧胸腺；沿上腔静脉或膈神经前方剪开胸膜，暴露同侧胸腺下极，自下而上游离同侧胸腺，沿头臂干静脉前方解剖、结扎胸腺静脉，同法游离对侧并切除。术后全部进行4000cGy放疗。结果手术时间70—130rain，平均110min。术中出血〈100ml。术后Masaoka分期Ⅰ期7例，Ⅱ期3例。术后无死亡，未出现心肺并发症和重症肌无力危象。术后1周重症肌无力症状缓解。10例随访8—15个月，平均13．0月，均无复发、转移，重症肌无力症状无明显加重。结论采用胸腔镜手术切除Ⅰ期或部分Ⅱ期胸腺瘤技术上是可行的，创伤小，术后并发症少，且不影响美观。     

Management of patients with malignant thymoma

This report documents the results of therapy in 23 patients treated for malignant thymoma between 1944 and 1979. Of the group, 22 patients had neoplasms which invaded mediastinal structures; six had distant metastases. Four patients had myasthenia gravis and one had erythroid hypoplasia associated with collagen vascular disease. No deaths were associated with primary therapy, which included an operative procedure in all cases. Follow-up ranged from 4 months to 18 years (mean 5.63 +/- 1.03 years, SEM). Fifteen patients died, with postoperative survival times ranging from 4 months to 18 years (mean 3.8 +/- 1.27 years). Five patients were alive without recurrence from 3 to 11 years postoperatively (mean 6.8 +/- 1.36 years), and three patients were alive with recurrence or distant metastases from 4 to 17 years postoperatively (mean 10.75 +/- 2.66 years). Differences in survival on the basis of tumor cell type were not statistically significant. Therapeutic groups were analyzed for 5 year survivors, tumor deaths within 5 years of therapy, deaths due to other causes, deaths due to tumor after 5 years, those presently alive, and longest known survivor. The data suggest that complete surgical excision offers the best chance of long-term survival when compared to partial resection plus irradiation (p less than 0.05). No statistical significance could be demonstrated between the groups who had complete resection with versus without postoperative irradiation. There also was no statistically significant difference between the group of patients receiving irradiation following partial excision of most of their tumor and the group receiving irradiation following only biopsy of the lesion. This observation suggests there is no value in so-called "debulking procedures" and suggests that irradiation may be of value in local control of thymoma. Perpetual surveillance is necessary since late recurrence is common.     

Thymoma

Objective: We evaluated the prognostic factors for thymoma that remain controversial.Methods: We studied 72 consecutive patients treated for thymoma during the period between 1966 and 1997. Recurrence-free interval rates and overall survival rates calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method were compared using logrank test by the Masaoka stage, extent of surgical resection, histology, or associated disease(s). Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox's proportional hazards model.Results: Thirty-two thymomas were at Masaoka stage I, 9 at stage II, 15 at stage III, and 16 were at stage IV. There were 56 complete resections, 7 incomplete resections (2 at stage III and 5 at stage IV), and 9 biopsies (1 at stage III and 8 at stage IV). Forty-one thymomas were cortical, 16 medullary, and 15 were mixed form. Association of myasthenia gravis was found in 20 patients, and pure red cell aplasia in 7. After an average follow-up period of 103 months, the recurrence-free 5-, 10-, 15-year interval rate was 89%, 80%, 80%, respectively, and overall 5-, 10-, 15-year survival rate was 86%, 71%, 59%, respectively. Factors influencing the recurrence-free interval and overall survival included the Masaoka stage, extent of surgical resection, and association with pure red cell aplasia. Multivariate analysis revealed stage IV tumor and association with pure red cell aplasia as risk factors for recurrence. Pure red cell aplasia indicated poor prognosis for overall survival.Conclusions: Masaoka stage, extent of surgical resection, and association with pure red cell aplasia were prognostic factors for thymoma. Multidisciplinary treatment for stage IV tumors and better control of pure red cell aplasia, if associated, should be investigated.     

Thymoma: trends over time

BACKGROUND: This is a review of a series of patients who presented with thymoma over the most recent 20-year period. Changes and trends in disease patterns were documented. METHODS: Data were collated retrospectively but all pathology slides were reviewed. Survival functions were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients had a partial or total thymectomy during this period for a thymoma. Average age was 55 years. Twenty-three patients (32%) had myaesthenia gravis. Eighteen patients (25%) were asymptomatic. Thirty-three patients (47%) had stage 1 disease. Complete resection was achieved in 60 patients (85%). Five-year survival was 88%. Fifty percent of patients with myesthenia gravis showed improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Five- and 10-year survival rates in this study are better than in other series. We attribute this to an increasing number of patients with stage 1 and stage 2 disease, particularly those with myasthenia gravis who now have screening computer tomography, and also to the surgical intent of aiming to achieve complete resection even if excision of adjacent tissue is required.     

胸腺瘤合并重症肌无力与单纯重症肌无力的临床特征及手术疗效分析

目的　探讨胸腺瘤合并重症肌无力 (MG)与单纯MG的临床特征及手术疗效。方法回顾性分析 1978年至 2 0 0 3年 2 4 3例MG患者临床资料 ,比较胸腺瘤合并MG组 (6 8例 )与单纯MG组 (175例 )的临床特点 ,以及术后并发症、缓解率、生存情况。结果　胸腺瘤合并MG组较单纯MG组年龄大 [平均年龄分别为 (41± 14 )与 (2 8± 16 )岁 ,t=6 .138,P =0 0 0 0 ]、病程短 (平均分别为 10、2 4个月 ,t =3 783,P =0 0 0 0 ) ,术后肌无力危象发生率高 [分别为 5 0 0 % (34/ 6 8)与 5 7% (10 / 175 ) ,χ2=6 4 77,P =0 0 0 0〗 ,两组Osserman分型差异无显著意义 (χ2 =7 6 78,P =0 10 4 )。胸腺瘤合并MG组肌无力症状完全缓解率、部分缓解率 ,术后 1年分别为 10 2 % (6例 )、6 2 7% (37例 ) ,术后 3年分别为 2 1 6 % (8例 )、75 7% (2 8例 ) ,低于单纯MG组 [术后 1年分别为 2 2 1% (30例 )、94 1% (12 8例 ) ,术后 3年分别为 4 4 4 % (44例 )、94 9% (94例 ) ,P值分别为 0 0 4 9、0 0 0 0、0 0 15、0 0 10 ];术后 5年两组比较肌无力症状完全缓解率、部分缓解率差异无显著意义 (P =0 4 5 7,P =0 6 99)。胸腺瘤合并MG组 3、5年生存率分别为 96 3%、84 4 % ,显著低于单纯MG组的 98     

Myasthenia gravis appearing after thymectomy for thymoma.

OBJECTIVE: A few thymoma patients without myasthenia gravis (MG) have been observed to develop MG after total removal of the thymoma (postoperative MG). However, the cause of this is not yet known because of the rarity of postoperative MG patients. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics of the 8 postoperative MG patients. METHODS: We compiled 1089 thymoma patients treated between 1990 and 1994 in 115 institutes in Japan, and found 8 cases of postoperative MG. RESULTS: Postoperative MG was found in 8 (0.97%) of 827 thymoma patients without preoperative MG. The postoperative MG patients included 1 male and 7 females, with a mean age of 50.5+/-15.0 years. The thymoma was completely resected in all cases. The surgical method used was extended thymectomy in 2 cases and thymothymectomy in 6 cases. There were 2 cases (0.7%) of postoperative MG in the extended thymectomy group (n = 275), 6 (1.9%) in the thymothymectomy group (n = 321), and none in the tumor resection group (n = 137). The interval between thymectomy and the onset of postoperative MG varied (6 days-45 months, 19.3+/-16.5 months). The type of MG was ocular in 2 cases and general in 5 cases, according to the modified Osserman classification. The postoperative MG was responsive to anti-cholinesterase compounds and/or steroids. The improvement rate was 86%. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative MG was present in about 1% of the patients who underwent total thymoma resection. Resection of the thymus gland does not prevent postoperative MG.     

Does surgical debulking for advanced stages of thymoma improve survival?

A best evidence topic in cardiothoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'Does surgical debulking for advanced stages of thymoma improve survival?' Altogether, only 17 papers were found using the reported search, of which only 10 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated; these studies have mainly reported the survival and recurrence rates after total vs subtotal resection of thymic tumours in patients receiving or not receiving adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. These studies confirmed that complete resection is the best prognostic factor in thymomas. With regard to subtotal tumour resection/debulking, we did not find any randomized controlled trials. The evidence on this topic is scarce and these 10 reported were retrospective reviews of the operative, histology and survival data of patients with thymoma who had subtotal vs partial resection for advanced stages of thymoma. Although debulking surgery for thymoma had positively affected survival, in six studies, the difference failed to reach statistical significance. Three of the studies, on the other hand, showed a higher survival rate in thymomas in which maximum debulking was performed and the treatment was followed by high-dose irradiation. None of these studies showed any benefit in debulking surgery for thymic carcinoma. Besides histology and tumour cell-type, other factors influencing survival included the tumour stage and the presence of symptoms such as myasthenia gravis as a warning sign at an early stage. Current evidence in the literature on the survival after debulking surgery for thymoma is contradictory, and most of the studies do not show any survival benefit after debulking for thymoma. However, debulking surgery minimizes the tumour size and area for irradiation postoperatively, hence it can result in less damage to the adjacent tissue during radiotherapy and may be considered for patients in advanced stages of thymoma in whom extensive radiotherapy will be required. In these cases, however, the risks of surgery followed by radiotherapy or radiotherapy alone should carefully be assessed prior to the initiation of treatment.     

Recurrence of thymoma: clinicopathological features, therapy, and prognosis

Factors influencing the recurrence or persistence of thymoma after therapy were investigated in 127 patients with thymoma, including 75 with thymoma and myasthenia gravis. The rate of recurrence or persistence was 19% (24 of 127 patients) overall, 11% (8 of 75 patients) in myasthenic thymoma, and 31% (16 of 52 patients) in nonmyasthenic thymoma. The more advanced the clinical stage, the higher the rate of recurrence or persistence. The recurrence/persistence rate for patients with the same clinical stage was higher in those with nonmyasthenic thymoma (8% in Stage I, 11% in Stage II, 36% in Stage III, and 75% in Stage IV) than in those with myasthenic thymoma (0 in Stage I, 13% in Stage II, 18% in Stage III, and 20% in Stage IV). The prognosis for patients having subtotal resection of tumor was good in myasthenic thymoma (recurrence/persistence rate, 17%) in contrast with nonmyasthenic thymoma (recurrence/persistence rate, 78%). These results suggest that nonmyasthenic thymoma is more malignant than myasthenic thymoma. Postoperative radiotherapy was effective in preventing the recurrence or persistence of thymoma after therapy.     

Prognostic significance of thymomas in patients with myasthenia gravis

BACKGROUND: The presence of thymoma may be a negative prognostic factor with respect to the outcome of myasthenia gravis (MG). METHODS: Of 122 consecutive patients with MG undergoing thymectomy between August 1994 and September 2000, 37 had a thymoma. Postoperative radiation was administered to all patients with stage II thymoma and higher. To determine differences in presentation and outcome, thymoma patients were compared with patients with atrophic (n = 49) or hyperplastic (n = 36) thymus gland on final pathology. RESULTS: Thymoma patients were significantly older (52 +/- 14 vs 36 +/- 15 years, p < 0.0001) and included a significantly higher proportion of males (54% vs 28%, p = 0.006) than patients without thymoma. However, the preoperative Osserman grade and the duration of symptoms before surgery were not significantly different between groups. Mean follow-up after thymectomy was not significantly different between patients with or without thymoma (32 +/- 23 vs 37 +/- 19 months, respectively, p = 0.3). At last follow-up, the proportion of asymptomatic patients (63% vs 70%, respectively, p = 0.5) and the mean Osserman grade (0.6 +/- 0.9 vs 0.5 +/- 0.9, respectively, p = 0.6) were similar in both groups. In addition, the rate of complete remission reached 36% at 5 years in patients with or without thymoma (p = 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: Although myasthenic patients with thymoma are significantly older and include a greater proportion of males, the overall outcome, including the rate of complete remission, was similar between patients with or without thymoma. Therefore, the presence of a thymoma should not necessarily be viewed as a negative prognostic factor regarding recovery from myasthenia gravis.     

J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Paper. Role of staging in prognosis and management of thymoma

Eighty-five patients operated on for thymoma from 1972 to 1989 were evaluated, 32 with myasthenia gravis and 53 without. Masaoka staging revealed stage I disease in 45 (53%), stage II in 23 (27%), stage III in 14 (16%), and stage IVa in 3 (4%). There was no operative mortality. Actuarial survival at 10 years was 63.7% for all patients: 78.3% for those in stage I, 74.7% for those in stage II, and 20.8% for those in stage III. There was no recurrence in patients in stage I. Mediastinal recurrence developed in 4 patients in stage II considered to have noninvasive disease by the surgeon. It is recommended that all patients be followed up for a minimum of 10 years and that all patients in stages II and III receive postoperative radiotherapy. The presence of myasthenia gravis is no longer considered as an adverse factor in survival.     

Results from surgical treatment for thymoma. 43 years of experience.

OBJECTIVE: The biological behavior of thymoma and its prognosis after surgical intervention remain still controversial. The efficacy of surgical treatment for thymoma was investigated by examining long-term follow-up data. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Follow-up data for patients undergoing surgical resection of histopathologically-confirmed thymoma between 1954 and 1997 were obtained and were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical staging was based on Masaoka's staging system, and histological classification on Rosai's proposed criteria. RESULTS: Data for 140 patients were collected. Sixty-four patients had stage I, 32 had stage II, 28 had stage III, and 16 had stage IV thymoma. There were significant differences in survival between patients with stage I and stage III, stage I and stage IV and stage II and stage III disease, but not between those with stage I thymoma and stage II thymoma. No significant difference in survival was observed between the 56 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and the 84 without MG. The 38 patients classified as having a predominantly-epithelial thymoma had a poorer prognosis than the 41 with a predominantly-lymphocytic thymoma. Until 1975, there were four patients with stage I thymomas who later showed recurrence, compared with 21 among those with stage II, III and IV diseases. Since 1976, extended thymectomy with thymomectomy under median sternotomy has been adopted as the standard operation for a thymoma, and there has been no recurrence in stage I patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with stage III or IV invasive thymoma have a poorer prognosis and a higher recurrence rate than those with encapsulated thymoma, and patients with a predominantly-epithelial thymoma have a poorer prognosis than those with a predominantly-lymphocytic thymoma. Extended thymectomy with thymomectomy under median sternotomy can be considered as adequate treatment for a stage I thymoma. Myasthenia gravis does not appear to affect the prognosis of patients with a thymoma.     

横断胸骨扩大胸腺切除治疗全身型重症肌无力

目的探讨经横断胸骨入路行扩大胸腺切除治疗重症肌无力的临床疗效。了解该入路的特点及临床疗效有助于该领域胸外科医师在临床实践中进行更好的临床决策。 方法对1998至2008年在复旦大学附属华山医院胸心外科行横断胸骨治疗全身型重症肌无力的211例患者的临床资料进行回顾性研究,分析患者术中和术后基本情况。并对术后5年进行随访的患者根据是否合并胸腺瘤进行分组,采用χ²检验比较两组间的疗效。 结果经横断胸骨入路能满足对合并Masaoka-Koga Ⅰ期及Ⅱ期胸腺瘤患者及无瘤患者实施扩大胸腺切除的需要,手术并发症较低,便于围术期护理,恢复迅速。对173例患者进行术后5年随访,总缓解率达到79.8%(138/173),无肿瘤复发。合并胸腺瘤组的总缓解率为81.9%(59/72),未合并胸腺瘤组的总缓解率为78.2%(79/101),两组间比较差异无统计学意义(χ²＝0.362,P＝0.548)。 结论与其他常用手术入路相比,横断胸骨入路的特点值得该领域胸外科医师关注。     

侵袭性胸腺瘤手术治疗预后因素的随访

目的 观察侵袭性胸腺瘤的手术治疗效果,并分析影响患者预后的相关因素.方法 回顾性分析2000年1月至2009年12月接受手术治疗的59例侵袭性胸腺瘤患者的临床及随访资料.患者为连续病例,男性34例,女性25例;年龄18～72岁,平均49岁.根治性手术44例,姑息切除或活检15例.Masaoka分期:Ⅱ期18例,Ⅲ期30例,Ⅳ期11例;Ⅱ期患者术后未接受辅助放疗或化疗,Ⅲ、Ⅳ期患者术后接受辅助放疗和(或)化疗26例,未接受辅助放疗或化疗15例.分析手术方式、Masaoka分期、辅助放疗和(或)化疗与患者预后的关系.结果 本组59例患者随访时间1～111个月,平均54个月;失访3例,失访率6.1%.全组局部复发或全身转移19例,死亡14例,3年、5年生存率分别为86.8%、70.8%.单因素分析显示接受完全性切除手术、Masaoka分期较早及术后接受辅助放疗和(或)化疗的患者有较高的生存率(P＜0.05).多因素分析显示是否完全性切除、术后接受辅助放疗和(或)化疗是影响患者预后的独立因素(P＜0.05).结论 Masaoka分期与侵袭性胸腺瘤患者预后相关;完全性切除手术及术后辅助放化疗可显著提高患者生存率;部分复发患者再次手术后亦可获得长期生存.     

经颈部切口全胸腺切除术13例

目的探讨经颈部切口的全胸腺切除术治疗前纵隔胸腺内小病灶的临床应用价值。方法2007年3月～2011年12月行经颈部切口全胸腺切除术13例,使用常规手术器械及头灯照明,经颈横切口从胸骨后间隙完整游离肿瘤及全胸腺并切除。结果1例因游离中发现侵犯左无名静脉中转胸骨正中切口切除肿瘤。12例经颈部切口全胸腺切除术平均手术时间48．1min（38—60min）,平均术中出血量45ml（30～50m1）,平均术后住院3．7d（2～7d）。1例术后第2天出现房颤,药物治疗后转窦性心率。13例均无手术相关性死亡。术后病理：MasaokaI期胸腺瘤2例,Ⅱ期胸腺瘤3例,Ⅲ期胸腺瘤1例,胸腺增生3例,胸腺脂肪瘤、胸腺囊肿、异位甲状旁腺囊肿、巨大淋巴结增生各1例。5例MasaokaI／Ⅱ期胸腺瘤术后均未行放化疗,随访3～57个月均存活,未见肿瘤复发;1例MasaokaⅢ期胸腺瘤术后放疗50Gy,随访14个月,无复发;胸腺增生3例术后症状均明显改善,随访14～28个月均完全缓解;其余4例良性胸腺肿瘤随访31—59个月,均存活,未见肿瘤复发。结论经颈部切口的全胸腺切除术治疗前纵隔胸腺内早期小病灶是安全可行的。对于合并胸腺内病变的早期重症肌无力患者及≤5cm的MasaokaI／Ⅱ期胸腺瘤患者的手术确切疗效有待于进一步病例数的积累。     

Does adjuvant radiation therapy improve disease-free survival in completely resected Masaoka stage II thymoma?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether or not patients with completely resected Masaoka stage II thymoma benefit from postoperative radiotherapy (RT). METHODS: We retrospectively review the case records and compared the long-term outcomes of patients affected by Masaoka stage II thymoma treated by resection alone with same stage thymoma patients submitted to resection and RT. Surgical specimens were reviewed to confirm pathological stage, negative resection margins and histological subtype. RESULTS: Between 1988 and 2000, we performed 197 resections for thymoma; 58 patients resulted to be affected by completely resected tumours with microscopic transcapsular invasion (stage IIA, n=25) or macroscopic invasion into the surrounding fatty tissue with or without adhesion to the mediastinal pleura (stage IIB, n=33). Thirty-two patients underwent only complete surgical resection (14 stage IIA and 18 stage IIB); 26 patients underwent complete resection and subsequent mediastinal RT (11 stage IIA and 15 stage IIB). RT dosages were 45-54grays (Gy), in 25-30 fractions. Histological subtypes were similarly represented in both groups. Median follow-up was 91 months (range 9-170). Five intrathoracic recurrences occurred: three radiated patients (2 stage IIB - 1 AB and 1 B2 thymoma; 1 stage IIA B1 thymoma) and two not-radiated patients (1 stage IIA AB thymoma and 1 stage IIB B1 thymoma). Disease-free survival rate at 5- and 10-year were 94% and 87%, respectively. Log-rank test showed no difference in Kaplan-Meier survival curves (p=0.432) between radiated and not-radiated patients. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the concept that radical surgical resection alone should be considered a sufficient treatment for stage II thymoma.