ABSTRACT

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are relatively rare tumors and represent about 0.2-1.5% of all malignancies. Aim of our study is to retrospectively evaluate the local control and survival and the factors affecting them in patients who received radiotherapy.

We retrospectively analysed clinical features of TET and the correlation of World Health Organisation (WHO) histologic classification and Masaoka staging system with radiotherapy modalities in 18 patients from 2004 to 2015.

Our patients’ male/female ratio was 10/8. Median age was 49 (range: 18-76). Fifteen patients were thymoma and 3 patients were thymic carcinoma. According to Masaoka staging; patients were distributed as Stage I 5.6% (n=1), Stage II 50% (n=9), Stage III 16.7% (n=3) and Stage IV 27,7% (n=5). Overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were 88 months (5-180) and 70 months (5-131) respectively in all cases. Five years OS and DFS were 45% and 50%. For Masaoka stage I-II and III-IV; OS was 99 months and 82 months (p=0.708); DFS was 96 months and 96 months (p=0.564) was found respectively. Five years OS was 50% for stage I-II and 40% for stage III-IV.

Surgical resection is the mainstay treatment of thymomas. Adjuvant radiotherapy achieved good local control and showed an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with high-risk thymoma.