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Masaoka staging is of prognostic relevance in type B3 / C thymomas
T Luebke1, K T E Beckurts, C Wickenhauser
1Department of Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 9, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to correlate the Ki67 labelling index (LI) with the Masaoka classification and the new WHO-classification in type B3 / C thymomas.
Patients And Methods:
Fourteen patients with type B3 / C thymomas were evaluated, and archived specimens were histologically reclassified according to Masaoka staging, the new WHO classification and the Ki-67 LI in a retrospective analysis.
Results:
Four patients presented with Masaoka stage II disease (all WHO-type B3), 1 patient had stage III (WHO-type C), 6 stage IVa (3 WHO-type B3 and 3 WHO-type C), and another 3 patients stage IVb (all WHO-type C). The statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between Masaoka staging and Ki-67 LI (II, III vs. IV; p = 0.007). As well, WHO-classification correlated significantly with Ki-67 LI (B3 vs. C; p = 0.015). Masaoka staging (II, III vs. IV) correlated significantly with survival status (p = 0.0237) in patients with type B3 / C thymoma whereas WHO-classification did not (p = 0.3266). Between survivors and non-survivors there was no statistically significant correlation concerning Ki-67 LI (p = 0.075).
Conclusion:
Our study indicated that the Masaoka staging system is of prognostic relevance in type B3 / C thymomas.