Thymic carcinoma: current and future therapeutic interventions.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: Since first reported just over 30 years ago, some progress has been made in our understanding of thymic cancer - an extremely rare cancer - and how to treat it. However, we are far from the ultimate goal of cure for most patients. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: This review provides an overview of the thymic gland's development; features of thymic carcinoma, including its molecular characterization, current staging, and treatment guidelines; and progress made to date for treating advanced disease, concluding with future directions and prospects. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: As scientists apply new molecular tools to learn more about cancer, we find that even among common cancers, there exist heterogeneous subtypes necessitating different treatment paradigms. Thus, a one-size-fits-all approach to cancer treatment is being displaced with precision medicine to target the 'Achilles heel' of thymic tumors. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: When approaching thymic carcinoma, we must identify the key driving forces to target its context(s) of vulnerability to ensure the greatest impact of treatment for patients with this extremely rare cancer.