[Successful chemotherapy of a metastatic malignant thymoma]

An epithelial thymoma was diagnosed in June 1978 in a 42-year-old-woman. The tumor had already encased the great vessels and infiltrated into sternum and both lungs. Full remission followed local radiotherapy with 25 Gy. In February 1979, intrapulmonary and bony metastases were discovered. After 12 cycles of the COP schema after Bagley (cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone) full remission was again achieved, which still persists. This case and other published results suggest that cytostatic combinations are often successful in the treatment of advanced malignant thymoma and could be an alternative to the present practice of radiotherapy of inoperable or incompletely resectable thymomas.