WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-P3.14.18 The Role of Induction Therapy Followed by Surgery in Advanced Thymic Epithelial Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

P3.14.18 The Role of Induction Therapy Followed by Surgery in Advanced Thymic Epithelial Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the outcomes of induction therapy (IT) followed by surgical resection in 749 patients with advanced thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), specifically Masaoka-Koga stage III–IVA, by analyzing 24 studies published between 2003 and 2023. Following MOOSE guidelines, the researchers conducted a random-effects meta-analysis, examining radiological response, surgical resection completeness, and long-term survival outcomes, while also assessing heterogeneity and publication bias.<br /><br />Key findings included an overall radiological response rate of 62.8% and a complete surgical resection rate of 71.6%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was estimated at 55.6%, whereas the 10-year overall survival (OS) stood at 54.3%. Significant heterogeneity was noted in some analyses. Histology was identified as a significant prognostic factor influencing outcomes. Despite advances and adoption of multimodal treatments over two decades, the 10-year OS has not shown appreciable improvement.<br /><br />The study highlights that IT followed by surgery is associated with acceptable long-term outcomes in advanced TET patients, reinforcing surgical resection’s role post-induction therapy. However, stagnant survival rates over 20 years underscore the necessity for novel therapeutic approaches tailored to tumor histology to enhance prognosis further.<br /><br />In conclusion, while current multimodal strategies provide meaningful disease control in advanced thymic tumors, future research must focus on innovative treatment modalities to improve long-term survival and tailor therapies based on tumor subtype, given the plateau in survival improvements observed in recent decades.

Asset Subtitle

Giovanni Leuzzi

Meta Tag

Speaker Giovanni Leuzzi

Topic Mesothelioma, Thymoma, and Other Thoracic Tumors

Keywords

induction therapy

surgical resection

advanced thymic epithelial tumors

Masaoka-Koga stage III–IVA

meta-analysis

radiological response rate

complete surgical resection rate

progression-free survival

overall survival

histology as prognostic factor