A meta-analysis of debulking surgery versus surgical biopsy for unresectable thymoma

Observational studies on long-term outcomes following debulking surgery or surgical biopsy for unresectable thymoma showed various results. This meta-analysis was designed to determine the effect of debulking surgery against surgical biopsy on overall survival in patients with unresectable thymoma. The PubMed database was queried for studies published in the English language on unresectable thymoma and overall survival. We compared overall survival following surgery in patients undergoing debulking surgery and patients undergoing surgical biopsy for unresectable thymoma. Meta-analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method, and potential publication bias was evaluated with a funnel plot of precision. No randomized trials on this topic were identified. Thirteen retrospective observational studies containing a sum of 314 patients with information on the number of deaths and person-years were suitable for analysis. Information on Masaoka stages, World Health Organization histology and indications for debulking surgery versus surgical biopsy was lacking in most studies. Diversity of neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments was noted among the eligible studies. One hundred and seventy-two (54.8%) patients underwent debulking surgery and 142 (45.2%) underwent surgical biopsy. The pooled hazard ratio was 0.451 (95% confidence interval: 0.336-0.605, P < 0.001), favouring patients undergoing debulking surgery compared with patients undergoing surgical biopsy. The funnel plot of precision demonstrated no important publication bias. Our results suggest that debulking surgery for unresectable thymoma may be associated with improved overall survival and be considered for patients with unresectable thymoma.