2024 Asia Conference on Lung Cancer (ACLC) - Poster & ePosters-PP01.44

PP01.44 - Swasthik Upadhya

Pdf Summary

This retrospective study from AIIMS, New Delhi, explored the clinicopathological profiles and treatment outcomes for advanced or unresectable thymomas over a 12-year period. Conducted at a single tertiary care center, the study involved 43 patients diagnosed with stages III or IV thymoma, thymic carcinoma, or thymic neuroendocrine tumors (NET). The goal was to gather data on treatment responses, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) for these rare malignancies.<br /><br />Participants had a median age of 40 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. Common symptoms included cough and breathlessness (60.5%) and chest pain (55.8%), while 7% had paraneoplastic syndromes such as myasthenia gravis or pure red cell aplasia. The majority had an ECOG performance status of 0-1, indicating relatively good functioning.<br /><br />Chemotherapy was the main treatment, with regimens like Cyclophosphamide-Adriamycin-Cisplatin (CAP) used in 75% of cases. Results indicated a 37.5% overall response rate, with median PFS and OS of 16 and 56 months, respectively. A considerable portion of patients underwent subsequent treatments: 30% had surgery post-chemotherapy, with some achieving R0 resection, and 40% received radiation therapy.<br /><br />Importantly, this study is the first in India examining stage III and IV thymomas specifically, revealing an OS similar to broader studies including earlier stages. However, the retrospective nature and small sample size pose limitations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive prospective studies to refine treatment protocols further. The study clearly underscores systemic therapy's potential benefits for these advanced malignancies in the Indian context.

Keywords

retrospective study

AIIMS New Delhi

thymomas

clinicopathological profiles

treatment outcomes

progression-free survival

overall survival

chemotherapy

systemic therapy

Indian context