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Chun SG, Rimner A, Amini A, Chang JY, Donington J, Edelman MJ, Geng Y, Gubens MA, Higgins KA, Iyengar P, Movsas B, Ning MS, Park HS, Rodrigues G, Wolf A, Simone CB. American Radium Society Appropriate Use Criteria for Radiation Therapy in the Multidisciplinary Management of Thymic Carcinoma. JAMA Oncol 2023:2805042. [PMID: 37186595 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.1175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Importance Thymic carcinoma is rare, and its oncologic management is controversial due to a paucity of prospective data. For this reason, multidisciplinary consensus guidelines are crucial to guide oncologic management. Objective To develop expert multidisciplinary consensus guidelines on the management of common presentations of thymic carcinoma. Evidence Review Case variants spanning the spectrum of stage I to IV thymic carcinoma were developed by the 15-member multidisciplinary American Radium Society (ARS) Thoracic Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) expert panel to address management controversies. A comprehensive review of the English-language medical literature from 1980 to 2021 was performed to inform consensus guidelines. Variants and procedures were evaluated by the panel using modified Delphi methodology. Agreement/consensus was defined as less than or equal to 3 rating points from median. Consensus recommendations were then approved by the ARS Executive Committee and subject to public comment per established ARS procedures. Findings The ARS Thoracic AUC panel identified 89 relevant references and obtained consensus for all procedures evaluated for thymic carcinoma. Minimally invasive thymectomy was rated as usually inappropriate (regardless of stage) due to the infiltrative nature of thymic carcinomas. There was consensus that conventionally fractionated radiation (1.8-2 Gy daily) to a dose of 45 to 60 Gy adjuvantly and 60 to 66 Gy in the definitive setting is appropriate and that elective nodal irradiation is inappropriate. For radiation technique, the panel recommended use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy or proton therapy (rather than 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy) to reduce radiation exposure to the heart and lungs. Conclusions and Relevance The ARS Thoracic AUC panel has developed multidisciplinary consensus guidelines for various presentations of thymic carcinoma, perhaps the most well referenced on the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen G Chun
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | - Andreas Rimner
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Arya Amini
- City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Joe Y Chang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | | | - Martin J Edelman
- Fox Chase Comprehensive Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yimin Geng
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | - Matthew A Gubens
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco
| | | | - Puneeth Iyengar
- The University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | | | - Matthew S Ning
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | | | - George Rodrigues
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Wolf
- Mount Sinai Health System, New York, New York
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Falkson CB, Vella ET, Ellis PM, Maziak DE, Ung YC, Yu E. Surgical, Radiation, and Systemic Treatments of Patients With Thymic Epithelial Tumors: A Systematic Review. J Thorac Oncol 2023; 18:299-312. [PMID: 36343922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Thymic epithelial tumors are rare and are classified as thymoma, thymic carcinoma, and thymic neuroendocrine tumors. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the treatment options for patients with thymic epithelial tumors. METHODS This systematic review was developed by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)'s Program in Evidence-Based Care and by the Lung Cancer Disease Site Group. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies comparing surgical, radiotherapy, or systemic treatments against any combination of these treatments in patients with thymic epithelial tumors. Meta-analyses were conducted with clinically homogenous studies. RESULTS A total of 106 studies were included, mainly from observational studies. There was an overall survival benefit with postoperative radiotherapy for patients with thymic carcinoma (hazard ratio = 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.47-0.89) and for patients with thymoma (hazard ratio = 0.70, 95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.82), especially for those with a high risk for mortality. Patients with thymic carcinoma or thymoma had a response to chemotherapy. Selection bias affected the results for studies that evaluated neoadjuvant chemotherapy or minimally invasive surgical techniques. Furthermore, the overall survival benefit found for adjuvant chemotherapy may have been confounded by the administration of postoperative radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS For patients with thymoma or thymic carcinoma, the literature is of low quality and subject to bias. There were overall survival benefits with postoperative radiotherapy. The results of this systematic review were used to inform treatment recommendations in a clinical practice guideline. Future large-scale prospective studies that control for confounders are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad B Falkson
- Radiation Oncology, Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario, Kingston General Hospital and Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emily T Vella
- Program in Evidence-Based Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Peter M Ellis
- Medical Oncology, Juravinski Cancer Centre and Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donna E Maziak
- Thoracic Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yee C Ung
- Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edward Yu
- Radiation Oncology, London Regional Cancer Centre and Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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Lin LM, Li YM, Huang YX, Zhang ZK, Dai YQ, Liu J, Lin Q. Evaluation of the role of postoperative radiotherapy in locally invasive thymoma: A propensity-matched study based on the SEER database. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283192. [PMID: 37053227 PMCID: PMC10101529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES No consensus was reached on the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in locally invasive thymomas because of the rarity of the thymic epithelial and the variations of study results. Therefore, we aimed to explore the efficacy of PORT in locally invasive thymomas using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. METHODS Patients diagnosed with thymomas from 2004 to 2016 were identified using the SEER database. Prognostic factors of cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the baseline characteristics. RESULTS A total of 700 eligible patients were identified. After PSM, 262 paired patients were selected from the two groups, those who received or did not receive PORT. Receiving PORT improved CSS and OS before and after PSM. In the matched population, the multivariate analyses showed that tumour invasion into adjacent organs/structures and non-utilisation of PORT were independent poor prognostic factors for CSS, whereas age ≥62 years,tumour invasion into adjacent organs/structures, and non-utilisation of PORT were independently associated with poorer OS. The subgroup analysis revealed that PORT improved CSS and OS in Masaoka-Koga stage III thymoma, but showed no OS benefit in Masaoka-Koga stage IIB thymoma. CONCLUSION Based on the SEER database, we found that PORT provides a significant survival benefit in Masaoka-Koga stage III thymoma with complete or incomplete resection. The role of PORT in thymoma requires further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Mei Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Center, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yi-Min Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Center, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yun-Xia Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Center, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zong-Kai Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Center, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Ya-Qing Dai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Center, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Center, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Qin Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Center, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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Inoperable CASTLE of the thyroid gland treated with radical radiotherapy with complete remission. Strahlenther Onkol 2021; 197:847-853. [PMID: 34160632 DOI: 10.1007/s00066-021-01800-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Carcinoma showing thymus-like elements (CASTLE) is an extremely rare malignant tumor of the thyroid gland and soft tissues of the neck with favorable prognosis. Histological features of the CASTLE are similar to thymic carcinoma, and it is assumed that it arises from the ectopic thymic tissue or the remnants of branchial pouches. The optimal treatment strategy is still uncertain because of the rarity of the tumor. The mainstay of treatment is surgery. The role of other modalities is unclear. We present a case report of a patient with locally advanced CASTLE of the thyroid gland who was not suitable for surgery and underwent radical radiotherapy with subsequent achievement of complete remission. We also present a literature review.
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Hao XJ, Peng B, Zhou Z, Yang XQ. Prospective Study of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma: Therapeutic Effect and Toxicity Assessment. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13549. [PMID: 29051511 PMCID: PMC5648828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12909-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an important modality in treatment of tumors. We hypothesized that SBRT can achieve excellent local control with limited toxicity in patients with thymic tumors. A single-institution prospective study was performed with 32 patients who underwent SBRT of thymoma and thymic carcinoma between 2005 and 2014. Thirty-two patients including 39 target lesions were analyses in this study. Almost half of the patients (46.9%) were type C by histopathology and more than half (56.3%) were classified into stage IVA or IVB. The median dose of SBRT for gross tumor volume (GTV) was 56 Gy (range 49–70 Gy). Results showed that the response rate was 96.9% after SBRT and the median tumor shrinkage rate was 62.2% (range 3.8–100%). For the patients with both stage II–III and type A-B (n = 6), the median PFS was 28 months. In-field failure was only observed in 4 patients, and outside-field failure was seen in 2 patients. The local control rate was 81.25%. Patients treated with SBRT had an excellent local control with mild toxicities, which suggests that SBRT is feasible for the patients with thymic tumors who are unable to undergo either surgery or conventionally fractionated radiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Jun Hao
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China.,Medical center, Medical team, The 68261 corp, Yinchuan, 750024, China
| | - Bo Peng
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Zejun Zhou
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Xue-Qin Yang
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China.
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Improved survival with postoperative radiotherapy in thymic carcinoma: A propensity-matched analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Lung Cancer 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2017.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Jackson MW, Palma DA, Camidge DR, Jones BL, Robin TP, Sher DJ, Koshy M, Kavanagh BD, Gaspar LE, Rusthoven CG. The Impact of Postoperative Radiotherapy for Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma. J Thorac Oncol 2017; 12:734-744. [PMID: 28126540 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The optimal role for postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for thymoma and thymic carcinoma remains controversial. We used the National Cancer Data Base to investigate the impact of PORT on overall survival (OS). METHODS Patients who underwent an operation for thymoma or thymic carcinoma were categorized into Masaoka-Koga stage groups I to IIA, IIB, III, and IV. Patients who did not undergo an operation or those who received preoperative radiation were excluded. Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed. Propensity score-matched analyses were performed to further control for baseline confounders. RESULTS From 2004 to 2012, 4056 patients were eligible for inclusion, 2001 of whom (49%) received PORT. On multivariate analysis of OS in the thymoma cohort adjusted for age, WHO histologic subtype, Masaoka-Koga stage group, surgical margins, and chemotherapy administration, PORT was associated with superior OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.72, p = 0.001). Propensity score-matched analyses confirmed the survival advantage associated with PORT. Subset analysis indicated longer OS in association with PORT for patients with stage IIB thymoma (HR = 0.61, p = 0.035), stage III (HR = 0.69, p = 0.020), and positive margins (HR = 0.53, p < 0.001). The impact of PORT for stage I to IIA disease did not reach significance (HR = 0.76, p = 0.156). CONCLUSIONS In this large database analysis of PORT for thymic tumors, PORT was associated with longer OS, with the greatest relative benefits observed for stage IIB to III disease and positive margins. In the absence of randomized studies assessing the value of PORT, these data may inform clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Jackson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado.
| | - David A Palma
- London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - D Ross Camidge
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Bernard L Jones
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Tyler P Robin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - David J Sher
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Matthew Koshy
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Cellular Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Brian D Kavanagh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Laurie E Gaspar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Chad G Rusthoven
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
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Lim YJ, Kim E, Kim HJ, Wu HG, Yan J, Liu Q, Patel S. Survival Impact of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy in Masaoka Stage II to IV Thymomas: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2016; 94:1129-36. [PMID: 27026316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2016.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 11/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the survival impact of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in stage II to IV thymomas, using systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS AND MATERIALS A database search was conducted with EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Ovid from inception to August 2015. Thymic carcinomas were excluded, and studies comparing overall survival (OS) with and without PORT in thymomas were included. The hazard ratios (HRs) of OS were extracted, and a random-effects model was used in the pooled analysis. RESULTS Seven retrospective series with a total of 1724 patients were included and analyzed. Almost all of the patients underwent macroscopically complete resection, and thymoma histology was confirmed by the World Health Organization criteria. In the overall analysis of stage II to IV thymomas, OS was not altered with the receipt of PORT (HR 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-1.08). Although PORT was not associated with survival difference in Masaoka stage II disease (HR 1.45, 95% CI 0.83-2.55), improved OS was observed with the addition of PORT in the discrete pooled analysis of stage III to IV (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40-0.99). Significant heterogeneity and publication bias were not found in the analyses. CONCLUSIONS From the present meta-analysis of sole primary thymomas, we suggest the potential OS benefit of PORT in locally advanced tumors with macroscopically complete resection, but not in stage II disease. Further investigations with sufficient survival data are needed to establish detailed treatment indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Jin Lim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunji Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hak Jae Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hong-Gyun Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Radiation Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinchun Yan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Liu
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shilpen Patel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington
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Lombe DC, Jeremic B. A Review of the Place and Role of Radiotherapy in Thymoma. Clin Lung Cancer 2015; 16:406-12. [PMID: 26074303 DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2014] [Revised: 05/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Thymomas, tumors that arise from the epithelial cells of the thymus gland, are the most common tumors of the anterior mediastinum despite their overall rarity. They are not classified together with malignancies although it is recognized that they can be invasive and persistent even after attempted treatment. Because of their rarity, optimal treatment protocols remain a challenging topic. Although surgery is recognized as the cornerstone of management, the role and benefit of use of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), remains questionable. Unequivocal evidence, although exclusively from retrospective studies, indicates that stage I thymoma is adequately treated with complete resection alone. As for stage II there is still a need to better determine the indications of PORT. For stage III and IV, existing data point to the fact that PORT plays a significant role in the management of thymoma. In patients for whom radiotherapy (RT) is indicated, 50 Gy appears to be adequate for microscopic disease and higher doses should be used for macroscopic tumor. With advances in RT delivery techniques, which allow for higher doses to be delivered to larger areas affected by tumor while sparing normal tissue, it is prudent to identify a place for this modality in the optimal management of thymoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy C Lombe
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Branislav Jeremic
- Institute of Lung Diseases, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia; BioIRC Center for Biomedical Engineering, Kragujevac, Serbia
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