Treatment of thymomas. A report of 67 cases

From 1979 to 1989, 126 patients were treated for thymic tumors. Ofthese, 67 (53%) had thymomas occurring in 27 men and 40 women; the mean agewas 46 years: 24 patients had no symptoms and myasthenia gravis was presentin 21 cases. A complete resection was performed in 45 patients, associatedin 22 with postoperative adjuvant treatment (radiotherapy, 2; radio- andchemotherapy, 20). Two patients had a partial resection followed byradiotherapy and chemotherapy. Twenty patients had initially only a biopsyand were treated by irradiation in 3 cases, radio- plus chemotherapy in 16,radio- plus chemotherapy and subsequent resection in 1 case. The stagingwas carried out according to the GETT Classification (stage I A:26; I B:6;II:12; III A:1; III B:18; IVA:4). Thymomas were found to be of predominantepithelial type in 12 cases, predominantly lymphocytic type in 9, and mixedin 46. No recurrence occurred after complete resection. The overall 10-yearsurvival was 71.1%. A good correlation was found according to staging: 96%in stage I; 80% in stage II; 35% in stage III. Presence of myastheniagravis did not affect the results. The best prognostic factor remainscomplete resection with postoperative radiotherapy to prevent recurrences.The role of adjuvant chemotherapy needs further evaluation.