Role of chemotherapy in malignant thymoma.

Thymomas and thymic carcinomas, which are rare epithelial tumors arising from the thymus gland, are the most common tumors of the anterior mediastinum. Surgery is the principal treatment and is curative in early stage disease. Radiation therapy, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, may be an option both in not completely and completely resected disease. Chemotherapy is offered to patients with locally advanced or metastatic thymoma and induces excellent responses race and prolonged survival.