Chemotherapy for invasive thymoma. A 13-year experience

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Abstract
From 1977 to 1990, 37 patients with Stage III or IV invasive thymoma (20 men and 17 women; median age, 40 years of age) were referred for chemotherapy to the Padova Medical Oncology Department. All patients initially received the same regimen (50 mg/m2 of cisplatin and 40 mg/m2 of doxorubicin intravenously (IV) on day 1, 0.6 mg/m2 of vincristine IV on day 3, and 700 mg/m2 of cyclophosphamide IV on day 4 [ADOC]), recycling at monthly intervals. No life‐threatening side effects were noted. The overall clinical response rate (complete response plus partial response) was 91.8%, with 43% complete remissions. Median duration of response and survival were 12 months (range, 2 to 96+ months) and 15 months (range, 5 to 96+ months), respectively. Seven of the 16 complete remissions were pathologically confirmed at subsequent thoracotomy. Other chemotherapy combinations and radiation therapy have been applied as second‐line treatment, achieving only minimal responses. In the opinion of the authors, such chemotherapy deserves evaluation for adjuvant and neo‐adjuvant treatment of invasive (and/or inoperable) thymoma due to the high complete response rate and overall response rate.