These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Prognostic importance of histomorphologic subclassification for epithelial thymic tumors.
    Author: Schneider PM, Fellbaum C, Fink U, Bollschweiler E, Präuer HW.
    Journal: Ann Surg Oncol; 1997 Jan; 4(1):46-56. PubMed ID: 8985517.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: The prognostic importance of various clinical variables (age, sex, association with myasthenia gravis), staging according to Masaoka, histologic type according to the Marino/Kirchner/Müller-Hermelink (MKM-H) classification, and residual tumor category (R category) was evaluated in a retrospective analysis. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with epithelial thymic tumors (ETTs) treated in the period 1969-1993 were evaluated, and archived specimens were histologically reclassified according to the classification of MKM-H. RESULTS: Age, sex, and association with myasthenia gravis were of no prognostic importance. The R category is of significant prognostic importance, with 5- and 10-year survival rates of 93.6% and 87.3%, respectively, for R0 resections compared with 0% at 5 years for R1 and R2 resections (p < 0.001). Staging (Masaoka) proved to be a prognostic factor (5-/10-year survival: stage I, 100%/90.9%; II, 95%/88.2%; III, 55.9%/46.6%; and IV, 10.8%/ 10.8%; p < 0.001). Histologic typing according to MKM-H is also of significant prognostic importance (5/10 year survival: thymomas: medullary, 100%/100%; mixed, 100%/100%, predominantly cortical, 68.6%/68.6%; cortical, 65.8%/65.8%; thymic carcinomas: well-differentiated type, 62.3%/44.5%; thymic carcinomas other than well-differentiated type, 33.6%/26.9%; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that staging (p < 0.001), R category (p < 0.026), and MKM-H classification (p < 0.028) have an independent impact on survival. CONCLUSIONS: Staging (Masaoka), R category, and histologic classification (MKM-H) are important independent prognostic factors for patients with epithelial thymic tumors. Complete (R0) surgical resections should be the ultimate goal in the clinical management of patients with epithelial thymic tumors.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]