Successful multimodality treatment for locally advanced primary thymic adenocarcinoma: report of a case.

Abstract

Although the optimal treatment strategy for locally advanced thymic carcinomas has yet to be determined, complete resection of the tumor after induction chemoradiotherapy (CRT) can sometimes provide a good chance of being cured. A 61-year-old woman was diagnosed with locally advanced primary thymic carcinoma, which invaded bilateral brachiocephalic veins and superior vena cava with intraluminal tumor thrombus. Induction CRT was performed, and a partial response to the treatment was achieved. Subsequent radical surgery was successfully performed by the median full sternotomy with a right transmanubrial osteomuscular sparing approach (TMA). The patient is currently alive and has remained disease-free for a year. The TMA is useful for extensive surgery of locally advanced thymic carcinoma because it can provide good exposure of the operative field without post-operative functional limitation of upper limbs.