[Clinicopathologic assessment of primary thymic carcinoma based on seven cases]

In order to study clinicopathologic characteristics of thymic carcinomas, seven patients experienced in our department were reviewed in this paper; 6 patients underwent thoracotomy and one did not receive surgical treatment. Among 6 who received operation, the tumor was resected totally in 3, subtotally in one, partially in one. One patient underwent exploratory thoracotomy. There have been no distinctive clinical features including clinical symptoms and radiographical findings from invasive thymomas in 7 primary thymic carcinomas, however, in these malignant tumors there have been no tumor-associated disorders not infrequently observed in thymomas. Postoperatively, distant metastasis was common in patients with thymic carcinomas, even though the primary tumor was resected totally in the operation. However, one patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the thymus who underwent subtotal tumor resection followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy are surviving over 6 years postoperatively. Intensive treatment including pre- and postoperative radiation, tumor resection and postoperative chemotherapy is absolutely necessary for thymic carcinoma. Histologically, there were 4 squamous cell carcinomas and 3 large cell carcinomas. One of 3 large cell carcinomas showed squamous cell differentiation histologically. Two of 4 squamous cell carcinomas demonstrated concomitant entity of residual thymus tissue as well as thymoma in one specimen. However, further studies are necessary to determine precise etiology and tumor characteristics of thymic carcinoma.