Clinical management of thymoma patients.

Thymoma and thymic carcinomas are rare epithelial tumors that arise from the thymus gland. Current management depends on staging, with surgery being the mainstay of therapy for stages I and II disease. Combined modality therapy, including radiation and chemotherapy, is recommended for patients who have invasive and metastatic disease. Relapse has been documented decades after initial therapy with options for treating recurrent advanced stage disease. Prospective studies have been limited, and current studies aim to evaluate novel treatment options.