What is the treatment for Thymic carcinoma?
Treatment of thymic carcinoma that cannot be completely removed by surgery includes the following: 1 Chemotherapy. 2 Chemotherapy with radiation therapy. 3 Chemotherapy followed surgery, if the tumor may be completely removed, and radiation therapy.
What are the treatment options for Stage 1 thymoma?
Patients with stage I thymoma should be treated with surgical excision of the tumor. Some patients with stage II disease derive benefit with the addition of postoperative radiation therapy. However, for advanced stage thymoma (stages III and IV) and thymic carcinoma, multimodality therapy plays a key role in successful management of disease.
What are thymoma and Thymic carcinoma?
Thymomas and thymic carcinomas are epithelial tumors of the thymus. The term, thymoma, is customarily used to describe neoplasms that show no overt atypia of the epithelial component.
When is surgical resection indicated in the treatment of thymic epithelial tumor (Tet)?
For patients presenting with a mediastinal mass that is highly suspicious for an early-stage thymic epithelial tumor (TET) and is potentially completely resectable, surgical resection is the preferred initial treatment. [ 1] Under these circumstances, surgical resection serves as a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure.
How is thymus cancer treated?
Surgery is the main treatment for thymus cancer. The surgeon removes all of the thymus, or as much of it as possible. This operation is called a thymectomy. The type of operation you have depends on the stage of the cancer.
Is thymic carcinoma treatable?
Treatment of thymic carcinoma that cannot be completely removed by surgery includes the following: Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy with radiation therapy. Chemotherapy followed surgery, if the tumor may be completely removed, and radiation therapy.
What is the prognosis for thymic carcinoma?
If the thymic cancer is located only in the thymus, the 5-year survival rate is 93%. If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is 79%. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 40%.
Who treats thymic carcinoma?
Who treats thymus cancer? Your health care team may include: Thoracic surgeon: a surgeon who specializes in chest surgery. Radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy.
Where does thymic carcinoma spread to?
Occasionally, it can spread to the lining of the lung, called the pleura. Less often, it can spread to other parts of the body. Thymic carcinoma (see Stages) also starts in the thymus. It is more likely to spread to the lining of the lungs and other parts of the body.
What causes thymic carcinoma?
No specific inherited, environmental, or lifestyle risk factors have been strongly linked to thymoma or thymic carcinoma. Some studies have suggested a possible link with exposure to radiation to the upper chest area, but this has not been confirmed. The only known risk factors are age and ethnicity.
Do all thymomas need to be removed?
There is therefore often a very good chance of curing thymomas by either surgery alone or surgery followed by radiation. We often proceed to remove these localized tumors without even the need for a preliminary biopsy.
Are thymomas always malignant?
However, thymoma is now considered to be always possibility malignant and the best way to determine if the condition will recur after treatment is to examine if the tumors have spread to other areas. See also emphysema, mediastinal tumors, mesothelioma and sarcoidosis for other lung diseases.
Which type of thymoma has best prognosis?
Type A, type AB and type B1 thymomas usually have a very good prognosis because the tumour cells look like normal thymus cells. Type B2 and type B3 thymomas have a less favourable prognosis because they are made up of abnormal thymus cells.
Do you need chemo for thymoma?
In current practice the most common regimen for adult patients with thymic carcinoma or advanced thymoma is cisplatin‐based chemotherapy.
What type of doctor treats thymus gland?
A thoracic surgeon specializes in surgeries of the chest. This is the type of surgeon who will remove the thymus gland. This surgery is known as a thymectomy.
How long is chemo for thymoma?
Chemo cycles generally last about 3 to 4 weeks, and treatment typically involves 4 to 6 cycles.