A multicenter retrospective study of patients operated for TC between 2000 and 2011 was conducted. Exclusion criteria were: Neuroendocrine thymic neoplasms, debulking/palliative resection and tumor biopsy. Cause specific survival (CSS) was the primary endpoint.
Four hundred and seventy-eight patients underwent surgery for thymic malignancies: 40 of them (8.4%) had TC. Eleven (27.5%) received induction chemotherapy because of their radiological invasiveness. A complete resection (R0) was achieved in 36 (90%; 9/11 submitted to induction chemotherapy). Adjuvant radio/chemotherapy was offered to 37 patients, according to the type of surgical resection and tumor invasiveness. Three, 5 and 10-year survival rates were 79%, 75% and 58%. Recurrences developed in 10 patients. R0 resection (p < 0.0003) and absence of tumor recurrences (p = 0.03) resulted significant prognostic factors at univariate analysis. Independent CSS predictor was the achievement of a complete resection (p < 0.05).
TC is a rare and invasive mediastinal tumor. A multimodal approach is indicated especially in TC invasive forms. The achievement of a complete surgical resection is fundamental to improve survival.