Prolonged survival time with surgical therapy in different types of thymoma: an analysis based on Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Database

BACKGROUND: Thymoma is the most common tumor within the anterior mediastinum though it is still a rare tumor disease. Surgery is considered to be one of the most important treatment methods for it, while radiotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy are also in use. Based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, we conducted our research and determined the value of operation in the treatment of thymoma. METHODS: In total, 1,587 patients with thymoma were selected out from the database. We grouped them according to type and stage of thymoma. We used cox-regression analysis to selected meaningful factors. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. RESULTS: The mean survival times of patients with type A, B, C thymoma were 130.79, 123.81, 77.18 months orderly. Among all 1,587 patients, the mean survival time of those treated with surgery was 124.92 months, while it was 65.03 months for those without surgery treatment (P<0.05). Within each group of patients with the same kind of and same stage thymoma, who got surgical treatment had a longer survival period (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Type c thymoma had the worst prognosis. Patients who received surgical treatment had longer survival time. And it didn’t matter what type or what stage of thymoma.