An update on the therapeutic options for metastatic thymomas and thymic carcinomas

Thymic epithelial tumors are rare cancers originating from the thymus, with an annual incidence of 0.13 per 100,000 persons. Therefore, the standard of care was approved primarily based on the results of single-arm phase II trials. If the disease is resectable and localized, a multidisciplinary treatment combining surgical resection, radiotherapy, and pharmacotherapy should be considered. Pharmacotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for metastatic and recurrent diseases.

This review delineates the distinct difference in treatment strategies of chemotherapy in patients with thymomas and thymic carcinomas. Thymomas typically respond to a cisplatin and anthracyclines, often supplemented with steroids, whereas thymic carcinomas, which do not typically involve anthracyclines as key drugs, are treated with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy. Lenvatinib has emerged as a pivotal key drug for refractory thymic carcinoma. In addition, single-agent cytotoxic chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors is considered as key drugs for thymic carcinomas.

Current research is focused on developing novel therapeutics such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), angiogenesis inhibitors, multi-kinase inhibitors, and further immune checkpoint inhibitors, expanding the prospects for pharmacotherapy in thymic malignancies.