Thymic carcinoma. A distinct clinical entity responsive to chemotherapy

• Published in: Cancer 1993-02, Vol.71 (4), p.1219-1223
• Main Authors: Weide, Lamont G., Ulbright, Thomas M., Loehrer, Patrick J., Williams, Stephen D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anaplasia; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Cell Nucleolus - ultrastructure; Cell Nucleus - ultrastructure; chemotherapy; cisplatin; Cisplatin - administration & dosage; Cytoplasm - ultrastructure; Desmosomes - ultrastructure; Epithelium - pathology; Female; Humans; Intercellular Junctions - ultrastructure; Intermediate Filaments - ultrastructure; Male; Mediastinal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Mediastinal Neoplasms - pathology; mediastinum; Middle Aged; Thymoma - drug therapy; Thymoma - pathology; thymus; Thymus Neoplasms - drug therapy; Thymus Neoplasms - pathology
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19930215)71:4<1219::AID-CNCR2820710408>3.0.CO;2-B

Background. Thymic carcinomas are rare tumors of the anterior mediastinum. These tumors are distinct thymic neoplasms that differ from their more common counterpart, thymoma. As opposed to thymomas, thymic carcinomas are histologically malignant neoplasms with a clinical course that tends to be much more aggressive than that of patients with thymoma. Methods. Between 1984 and 1990, five patients with thymic carcinoma treated with cisplatin‐based combination chemotherapy were seen at Indiana University Hospital. These patients' diagnoses, courses, and treatments were reviewed. Results. Three patients responded (two completely) to cisplatin‐based chemotherapy. Conclusions. This form of chemotherapy merits additional study in such patients, and our experience indicates that at least some will have clinically meaningful responses. The optimum regimen is unclear, but would contain cisplatin and probably should be similar to that used in germ cell tumors.