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Vol.47 No.1 contents | Japanese/English |
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- Case Report -
A Case of Thymic Carcinoma with Long-term Survival Treated by Four Operations, Radiation Therapy, and Chemotherapy
Yasuhiko Ohshio1, Shozo Fujino1, Satoru Sawai1, Mayumi Ohshio1, Shoji Asakura2, Masutaro Ichinose21Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan, 2Department of Thoracic Surgery, Minami-kyoto Hospital, National Hospital Organization, Japan
Background. In thymic carcinoma, prognosis is generally poor in cases with metastasis or recurrence. However, we encountered a case in which long-term survival was obtained by combined modality therapy suggesting benefit of aggressive treatment. Case. A 51-year-old woman was found to have an abnormal shadow during a check-up in November, 1990, and visited our hospital for the first time. Tumor shadows were observed in the anterior mediastinal space and the liver. Radical thymectomy to remove the thymic tumor and PEIT (percutaneous ethanol injection therapy) for the liver tumor were performed. The pathological diagnosis of the mediastinal tumor was undifferentiated thymic carcinoma, and the liver tumor subjected to intraoperative needle biopsy was undifferentiated metastatic carcinoma. The pathological stage was IV because of mediastinal lymph node and liver metastasis. In October, 1991, the liver tumor re-increased in size, and S8 excision was therefore performed (undifferentiated metastatic carcinoma). In January, 1994, liver S4 partial resection was performed for the liver tumor (undifferentiated metastatic carcinoma). Right chest wall tumor excision was performed in August of the same year, and the pathological diagnosis was small cell carcinoma. In January 1998, she exhibited complete response to treatment with chemotherapy (CDDP+VP-16) and radiation therapy to a tumor in the hilum of the right lung. She also exhibited complete response to treatment with chemotherapy (CBDCA+oral VP-16) for tumor in S10 of the right lung in August of the same year. Although tumor shadow is now observed in the diaphragm and the right chest wall, her condition is stable and she has been followed without treatment at December, 2005. Conclusion. Some cases of thymic carcinoma with metastasis can obtain long-term survival with combined modality therapy, therefore aggressive treatment can be effective.
key words: Thymic carcinoma, Long-term survival, Combined modality therapy
Received: July 28, 2006
Accepted: October 31, 2006
JJLC 47 (1): 41-46, 2007
