THYMIC CARCINOMA(REPORT OF 14 CASES)

This paper reports of 14 cases of thymic carcinoma. Most of them with symptoms of chest pain, cheststuffy and discomfort, but without combined with extrathoracic syndromes, The tumors always were largein size and frequently invaded adjacent organs, hence with low resection rate. ln this series, complete re-section of tumor only 2 cases, partial resection in 7 cases, exploratory thoracotomy in 5 cases. Thymic car-cinoma was an extremely malignant tumor with extensive invasion intrathoracally and early metastasis ex-trathoracally. The common sites of metastasis were bone, liver,lung and extrathoracic lymph nodes. Adju-vant therapy postoperatively was given to all patients. Follow-up of lbo 8 years showed 1O cases death,ofwhich 5 cases died within the first year after surgery,3 cases within the second year. Four patients werestill alive so far, in which 3 patients were within 1. 5 years postoperatively. Pathological studies revealed 9cases of squamous epithe1ial cell thymic carcinoma, 3 of lymphoepithelioma - like thymic carcinoma and 2 ofsmall cell undifferentiate thymic carcinoma.