Enteric thymic adenocarcinoma: Understanding a unique pathology in the mediastinum

Thymic malignancies are rare neoplasms, with thymoma and thymic carcinoma-collectively known as thymic epithelial tumors (TETs)-being uncommon tumors that originate from the thymus. Despite their rarity, TETs are the most prevalent tumors found in the anterior mediastinum of adults. The major histological types include squamous cell carcinoma, lymphoid epithelioid carcinoma, and basal-like carcinoma. Thymic enteric type adenocarcinoma, an exceptionally rare variant characterized by the expression of cytokeratin (CK) 20 and/or CDX-2, has been recently proposed as a distinct pathological entity, although only a limited number of cases have been reported to date. Although there is no standard therapeutic regimen for thymic-enteric adenocarcinoma, we authors have attempted to showcase our treatment plan for advanced/unresectable thymic malignancies.