Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma: An Update of the WHO Classification 2004

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Surgery Today Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

When dealing with tumors of the thymus and mediastinum, both the surgeon and the pathologist are confronted with a vast variety of different pathohistologic entities, among which epithelial tumors, namely thymomas and thymic carcinomas, are the most frequent. Intimate knowledge of the different entities and their anticipated clinical outcome is required to meet diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We herein briefly update the reader with the most important new changes in the 2004 WHO classification of tumors of the thymus and to important new trends in the treatment of some of these tumors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J Rosai L Sobin (1999) Histological typing of tumours of the thymus World Health Organization. International histological classification of tumours Springer Berlin Heidelberg 1–16

    Google Scholar 

  2. M Okumura M Ohta H Tateyama K Nakagawa A Matsumura H Maeda et al. (2002) ArticleTitleThe World Health Organization histologic classification system reflects the oncologic behavior of thymoma: a clinical study of 273 patients Cancer 94 624–32 Occurrence Handle10.1002/cncr.10226 Occurrence Handle11857293

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. G Chen A Marx C Wen-Hu J Yong B Puppe P Strobel et al. (2002) ArticleTitleNew WHO histologic classification predicts prognosis of thymic epithelial tumors: a clinicopathologic study of 200 thymoma cases from China Cancer 95 420–9 Occurrence Handle10.1002/cncr.10665 Occurrence Handle12124843

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. K Kondo K Yoshizawa M Tsuyuguchi S Kimura M Sumitomo J Morita et al. (2004) ArticleTitleWHO histologic classification is a prognostic indicator in thymoma Ann Thorac Surg 77 1183–8 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.athoracsur.2003.07.042 Occurrence Handle15063231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. P Strobel A Bauer B Puppe T Kraushaar A Krein K Toyka et al. (2004) ArticleTitleTumor recurrence and survival in patients treated for thymomas and thymic squamous cell carcinomas: a retrospective analysis J Clin Oncol 22 1501–9 Occurrence Handle10.1200/JCO.2004.10.113 Occurrence Handle15084623

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. N de Saint Aubain Somerhausen C Richard D Priollet D Dequanter (2004) ArticleTitleEctopic hamartomatous thymoma: a case report and review of the literature Ann Pathol 24 176–8 Occurrence Handle15220838

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. JB Cohen M Troxell CS Kong IR McDougall (2003) ArticleTitleEctopic intrathyroidal thymoma: a case report and review Thyroid 13 305–8 Occurrence Handle10.1089/105072503321582132 Occurrence Handle12729482

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. A Marx P Strobel A Zettl JKC Chan NL Harris TT Kuo et al. (2004) Thymomas WD Travis E Brambilla HK Müller-Hermelink CC Harris (Eds) World Health Organization classification of tumours. Pathology and genetics of tumours of the lung, thymus and heart. Vol. 7 IARC Press Lyon 152–3

    Google Scholar 

  9. M Inoue P Starostik A Zettl P Strobel S Schwarz F Scaravilli et al. (2003) ArticleTitleCorrelating genetic aberrations with World Health Organization-defined histology and stage across the spectrum of thymomas Cancer Res 63 3708–15 Occurrence Handle12839963

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. G Qiu Z Xu D Huang L Gong C Li X Sun et al. (2003) ArticleTitle[Cloning and characterization of MTLC, a novel gene in 6q25] Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi 20 94–7 Occurrence Handle12673574

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. CY Chiu S Leng KA Martin E Kim S Gorman DM Duhl (1999) ArticleTitleCloning and characterization of T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis 2 (TIAM2), a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor related to TIAM1 Genomics 61 66–73 Occurrence Handle10.1006/geno.1999.5936 Occurrence Handle10512681

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. G Giglia-Mari F Coin JA Ranish D Hoogstraten A Theil N Wijgers et al. (2004) ArticleTitleA new, tenth subunit of TFIIH is responsible for the DNA repair syndrome trichothiodystrophy group A Nat Genet 36 714–9 Occurrence Handle10.1038/ng1387 Occurrence Handle15220921

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. M Inoue A Marx A Zettl P Strobel HK Muller-Hermelink P Starostik (2002) ArticleTitleChromosome 6 suffers frequent and multiple aberrations in thymoma Am J Pathol 161 1507–13 Occurrence Handle12368223

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. R Zhou A Zettl P Strobel K Wagner HK Muller-Hermelink S Zhang et al. (2001) ArticleTitleThymic epithelial tumors can develop along two different pathogenetic pathways Am J Pathol 159 1853–60 Occurrence Handle11696445

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. P Dal Cin C De Wolf-Peeters MS Aly G Deneffe W Van Mieghem H Van Den Berghe (1993) ArticleTitleRing chromosome 6 as the only change in a thymoma Genes Chromosomes Cancer 6 243–4 Occurrence Handle7685629

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. SG Goh LC Lau C Sivaswaren KL Chuah PH Tan D Lai (2001) ArticleTitlePseudodicentric (16;12)(q11;p11.2) in a type AB (mixed) thymoma Cancer Genet Cytogenet 131 42–7 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0165-4608(01)00500-3 Occurrence Handle11734317

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. T Kirchner B Schalke J Buchwald M Ritter A Marx HK Muller-Hermelink (1992) ArticleTitleWell-differentiated thymic carcinoma. An organotypical low-grade carcinoma with relationship to cortical thymoma Am J Surg Pathol 16 1153–69 Occurrence Handle1463094

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. A Zettl P Strobel K Wagner T Katzenberger G Ott A Rosenwald et al. (2000) ArticleTitleRecurrent genetic aberrations in thymoma and thymic carcinoma Am J Pathol 157 257–66 Occurrence Handle10880395

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. B Scheijen M Bronk T van der Meer D De Jong R Bernards (2004) ArticleTitleHigh incidence of thymic epithelial tumors in E2F2 transgenic mice J Biol Chem 279 10476–83 Occurrence Handle10.1074/jbc.M313682200 Occurrence Handle14684733

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Y Fujiwara M Emi H Ohata Y Kato T Nakajima T Mori et al. (1993) ArticleTitleEvidence for the presence of two tumor suppressor genes on chromosome 8p for colorectal carcinoma Cancer Res 53 1172–4 Occurrence Handle8439963

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. ML Yaremko C Kutza J Lyzak R Mick WM Recant CA Westbrook (1996) ArticleTitleLoss of heterozygosity from the short arm of chromosome 8 is associated with invasive behavior in breast cancer Genes Chromosomes Cancer 16 189–95 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1098-2264(199607)16:3<189::AID-GCC6>3.0.CO;2-V Occurrence Handle8814452

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. A Latil O Cussenot G Fournier K Driouch R Lidereau (1997) ArticleTitleLoss of heterozygosity at chromosome 16q in prostate adenocarcinoma: identification of three independent regions Cancer Res 57 1058–62 Occurrence Handle9067271

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. L Lauriola RA Erlandson J Rosai (1998) ArticleTitleNeuroendocrine differentiation is a common feature of thymic carcinoma Am J Surg Pathol 22 1059–66 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000478-199809000-00003 Occurrence Handle9737237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. CA Moran S Suster (2000) ArticleTitleNeuroendocrine carcinomas (carcinoid tumor) of the thymus. A clinicopathologic analysis of 80 cases Am J Clin Pathol 114 100–10 Occurrence Handle10.1309/3PDN-PMT5-EQTM-H0CD Occurrence Handle10884805

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. K Goto T Kodama Y Matsuno T Yokose H Asamura N Kamiya et al. (2001) ArticleTitleClinicopathologic and DNA cytometric analysis of carcinoid tumors of the thymus Mod Pathol 14 985–94 Occurrence Handle10.1038/modpathol.3880423 Occurrence Handle11598168

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. S Suster CA Moran (1996) ArticleTitlePrimary thymic epithelial neoplasms showing combined features of thymoma and thymic carcinoma. A clinicopathologic study of 22 cases Am J Surg Pathol 20 1469–80 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000478-199612000-00006 Occurrence Handle8944040

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. S Suster CA Moran (1999) ArticleTitleMicronodular thymoma with lymphoid B-cell hyperplasia: clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of eighteen cases of a distinctive morphologic variant of thymic epithelial neoplasm Am J Surg Pathol 23 955–62 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000478-199908000-00014 Occurrence Handle10435566

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. H Tateyama Y Saito Y Fujii M Okumura K Nakamura H Tada et al. (2001) ArticleTitleThe spectrum of micronodular thymic epithelial tumours with lymphoid B-cell hyperplasia Histopathology 38 519–27 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2559.2001.01133.x Occurrence Handle11422495

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. V Thomas De Montpreville L Zemoura E Dulmet (2002) ArticleTitleThymoma with epithelial micronodules and lymphoid hyperplasia: six cases of a rare and equivocal subtype Ann Pathol 22 177–82 Occurrence Handle12410100

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. TW Noh SH Kim BJ Lim WI Yang KY Chung (2001) ArticleTitleThymoma with pseudosarcomatous stroma Yonsei Med J 42 571–75 Occurrence Handle11675689

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. S Suster CA Moran JK Chan (1997) ArticleTitleThymoma with pseudosarcomatous stroma: report of an unusual histologic variant of thymic epithelial neoplasm that may simulate carcinosarcoma Am J Surg Pathol 21 1316–23 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000478-199711000-00006 Occurrence Handle9351569

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. S Yoneda A Marx S Heimann T Shirakusa M Kikuchi HK Muller-Hermelink (1999) ArticleTitleLow-grade metaplastic carcinoma of the thymus Histopathology 35 19–30 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2559.1999.00691.x Occurrence Handle10383710

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. A Franke P Strobel V Fackeldey R Schafer T Goller HP Becker et al. (2004) ArticleTitleHepatoid thymic carcinoma: report of a case Am J Surg Pathol 28 250–6 Occurrence Handle15043316

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. CA Moran S Suster (1997) ArticleTitleHepatoid yolk sac tumors of the mediastinum: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of four cases Am J Surg Pathol 21 1210–14 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000478-199710000-00012 Occurrence Handle9331294

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. I Kubonishi N Takehara J Iwata H Sonobe Y Ohtsuki T Abe et al. (1991) ArticleTitleNovel t(15;19)(q15;p13) chromosome abnormality in a thymic carcinoma Cancer Res 51 3327–8 Occurrence Handle2040007

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. CA French I Miyoshi JC Aster I Kubonishi TG Kroll P Dal Cin et al. (2001) ArticleTitleBRD4 bromodomain gene rearrangement in aggressive carcinoma with translocation t(15;19) Am J Pathol 159 1987–92 Occurrence Handle11733348

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. CA French I Miyoshi I Kubonishi HE Grier AR Perez-Atayde JA Fletcher (2003) ArticleTitleBRD4-NUT fusion oncogene: a novel mechanism in aggressive carcinoma Cancer Res 63 304–7 Occurrence Handle12543779

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. K Kondo Y Monden (2003) ArticleTitleTherapy for thymic epithelial tumors: a clinical study of 1,320 patients from Japan Ann Thorac Surg 76 878–84 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0003-4975(03)00555-1 Occurrence Handle12963221

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. K Ogawa T Toita T Uno N Fuwa Y Kakinohana M Kamata et al. (2002) ArticleTitleTreatment and prognosis of thymic carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of 40 cases Cancer 94 3115–9 Occurrence Handle10.1002/cncr.10588 Occurrence Handle12115342

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. K Koga Y Matsuno M Noguchi K Mukai H Asamura T Goya et al. (1994) ArticleTitleA review of 79 thymomas: modification of staging system and reappraisal of conventional division into invasive and non-invasive thymoma Pathol Int 44 359–67 Occurrence Handle8044305

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. K Nakagawa H Asamura Y Matsuno K Suzuki H Kondo A Maeshima et al. (2003) ArticleTitleThymoma: a clinicopathologic study based on the new World Health Organization classification J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 126 1134–40 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0022-5223(03)00798-0 Occurrence Handle14566259

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. K Ogawa T Uno T Toita H Onishi H Yoshida Y Kakinohana et al. (2002) ArticleTitlePostoperative radiotherapy for patients with completely resected thymoma: a multi-institutional, retrospective review of 103 patients Cancer 94 1405–13 Occurrence Handle10.1002/cncr.10373 Occurrence Handle11920495

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. S Gripp K Hilgers R Wurm G Schmitt (1998) ArticleTitleThymoma: prognostic factors and treatment outcomes Cancer 83 1495–503 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1097-0142(19981015)83:8<1495::AID-CNCR4>3.0.CO;2-O Occurrence Handle9781943

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Y Eralp A Aydiner A Kizir E Kaytan EN Oral E Topuz (2003) ArticleTitleResectable thymoma: treatment outcome and prognostic factors in the late adolescent and adult age group Cancer Invest 21 737–43 Occurrence Handle10.1081/CNV-120023772 Occurrence Handle14628432

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. G Maggi C Casadio A Cavallo R Cianci M Molinatti E Ruffini (1991) ArticleTitleThymoma: results of 241 operated cases Ann Thorac Surg 51 152–6 Occurrence Handle1985561

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. R Schmidt SP Monig M Selzner B Krug (1997) ArticleTitleSurgical therapy of malignant thymoma J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 38 317–22

    Google Scholar 

  47. AA Mangi CD Wright JS Allan JC Wain DM Donahue HC Grillo et al. (2002) ArticleTitleAdjuvant radiation therapy for stage II thymoma Ann Thorac Surg 74 1033–7 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0003-4975(02)03828-6 Occurrence Handle12400741

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. S Singhal JB Shrager DI Rosenthal VA LiVolsi LR Kaiser (2003) ArticleTitleComparison of stages I–II thymoma treated by complete resection with or without adjuvant radiation Ann Thorac Surg 76 1635–41 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0003-4975(03)00819-1 Occurrence Handle14602300

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. M Myojin NC Choi CD Wright JC Wain N Harris EB Hug et al. (2000) ArticleTitleStage III thymoma: pattern of failure after surgery and postoperative radiotherapy and its implication for future study Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 46 927–33 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0360-3016(99)00514-3 Occurrence Handle10705015

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. M Uematsu H Yoshida M Kondo J Itami K Hatano K Isobe et al. (1996) ArticleTitleEntire hemithorax irradiation following complete resection in patients with stage II–III invasive thymoma Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 35 357–60 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0360-3016(96)00086-7 Occurrence Handle8635944

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. HT Tran Blumenschein GR SuffixJr C Lu CA Meyers V Papadimitrakopoulou FV Fossella et al. (2004) ArticleTitleClinical and pharmacokinetic study of TNP-470, an angiogenesis inhibitor, in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with solid tumors Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 54 308–14 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00280-004-0816-z Occurrence Handle15184994

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. F Venuta EA Rendina F Longo T De Giacomo M Anile E Mercadante et al. (2003) ArticleTitleLong-term outcome after multimodality treatment for stage III thymic tumors Ann Thorac Surg 76 1866–72 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0003-4975(03)01020-8 Occurrence Handle14667602

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. S Bretti A Berruti C Loddo P Sperone C Casadio M Tessa et al. (2004) ArticleTitleMultimodal management of stages III–IV a malignant thymoma Lung Cancer 44 69–77 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.lungcan.2003.09.022 Occurrence Handle15013585

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. FC Detterbeck AM Parsons (2004) ArticleTitleThymic tumors Ann Thorac Surg 77 1860–9 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.athoracsur.2003.10.001 Occurrence Handle15111216

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. A Kurup PJ Loehrer SuffixSr (2004) ArticleTitleThymoma and thymic carcinoma: therapeutic approaches Clin Lung Cancer 6 28–32 Occurrence Handle15310414

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. G Palmieri L Montella A Martignetti P Muto D Di Vizio A De Chiara et al. (2002) ArticleTitleSomatostatin analogs and prednisone in advanced refractory thymic tumors Cancer 94 1414–20 Occurrence Handle10.1002/cncr.10374 Occurrence Handle11920496

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Grimberg A. Somatostatin and cancer: applying endocrinology to oncology. Cancer Biol Ther 2004;3

  58. Loehrer PJ Sr W Wang DH Johnson SC Aisner DS Ettinger (2004) ArticleTitleOctreotide alone or with prednisone in patients with advanced thymoma and thymic carcinoma: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Phase II Trial J Clin Oncol 22 293–9 Occurrence Handle14722038

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. J Anido P Matar J Albanell M Guzman F Rojo J Arribas et al. (2003) ArticleTitleZD1839, a specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, induces the formation of inactive EGFR/HER2 and EGFR/HER3 heterodimers and prevents heregulin signaling in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells Clin Cancer Res 9 1274–83 Occurrence Handle12684395

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. JD Henley OW Cummings PJ Loehrer SuffixSr (2004) ArticleTitleTyrosine kinase receptor expression in thymomas J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 130 222–4 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00432-004-0545-z Occurrence Handle14762710

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. CC Pan PC Chen H Chiang (2004) ArticleTitleKIT (CD117) is frequently overexpressed in thymic carcinomas but is absent in thymomas J Pathol 202 375–81 Occurrence Handle10.1002/path.1514 Occurrence Handle14991904

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. P Strobel M Hartmann A Jakob K Mikesch I Brink S Dirnhofer et al. (2004) ArticleTitleThymic carcinoma with overexpression of mutated KIT and the response to imatinib N Engl J Med 350 2625–6 Occurrence Handle10.1056/NEJM200406173502523 Occurrence Handle15201427

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. BJ Longley MJ Reguera Y Ma (2001) ArticleTitleClasses of c-KIT activating mutations: proposed mechanisms of action and implications for disease classification and therapy Leukemia Res 25 571–6 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0145-2126(01)00028-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. ML Privalsky R Ralston JM Bishop (1984) ArticleTitleThe membrane glycoprotein encoded by the retroviral oncogene v-erb-B is structurally related to tyrosine-specific protein kinases Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81 704–7 Occurrence Handle6322166

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. J Schlessinger (2000) ArticleTitleCell signaling by receptor tyrosine kinases Cell 103 211–25 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0092-8674(00)00114-8 Occurrence Handle11057895

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. FR Hirsch M Varella-Garcia PA Bunn SuffixJr MV Di Maria R Veve RM Bremmes et al. (2003) ArticleTitleEpidermal growth factor receptor in non-small-cell lung carcinomas: correlation between gene copy number and protein expression and impact on prognosis J Clin Oncol 21 3798–807 Occurrence Handle10.1200/JCO.2003.11.069 Occurrence Handle12953099

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. DK Moscatello M Holgado-Madruga AK Godwin G Ramirez G Gunn PW Zoltick et al. (1995) ArticleTitleFrequent expression of a mutant epidermal growth factor receptor in multiple human tumors Cancer Res 55 5536–9 Occurrence Handle7585629

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. N Prenzel E Zwick H Daub M Leserer R Abraham C Wallasch et al. (1999) ArticleTitleEGF receptor transactivation by G-protein-coupled receptors requires metalloproteinase cleavage of proHB-EGF Nature 402 884–8 Occurrence Handle10622253

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. D Liu J Aguirre Ghiso Y Estrada L Ossowski (2002) ArticleTitleEGFR is a transducer of the urokinase receptor initiated signal that is required for in vivo growth of a human carcinoma Cancer Cell 1 445–57 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1535-6108(02)00072-7 Occurrence Handle12124174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. NE Gilhus M Jones H Turley KC Gatter N Nagvekar J Newsom-Davis et al. (1995) ArticleTitleOncogene proteins and proliferation antigens in thymomas: increased expression of epidermal growth factor receptor and Ki67 antigen J Clin Pathol 48 447–55 Occurrence Handle7629292

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Y Hayashi N Ishii C Obayashi K Jinnai K Hanioka Y Imai et al. (1995) ArticleTitleThymoma: tumour type related to expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), EGF-receptor, p53, v-erb B and ras p21 Virchows Arch 426 43–50 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00194697 Occurrence Handle7704323

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. E Pescarmona A Pisacane E Pignatelli CD Baroni (1993) ArticleTitleExpression of epidermal and nerve growth factor receptors in human thymus and thymomas Histopathology 23 39–44 Occurrence Handle8365713

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. HS Parra R Cavina F Latteri PA Zucali E Campagnoli E Morenghi et al. (2004) ArticleTitleAnalysis of epidermal growth factor receptor expression as a predictive factor for response to gefitinib (“Iressa”, ZD1839) in non-small-cell lung cancer Br J Cancer 91 208–12 Occurrence Handle15187994

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. LB Saltz NJ Meropol Loehrer PJ Sr MN Needle J Kopit RJ Mayer (2004) ArticleTitlePhase II trial of cetuximab in patients with refractory colorectal cancer that expresses the epidermal growth factor receptor J Clin Oncol 22 1201–8 Occurrence Handle10.1200/JCO.2004.10.182 Occurrence Handle14993230

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. P Krawczyk S Chocholska J Milanowski (2003) ArticleTitleAnti-HER therapeutic agents in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer Ann Univ Mariae Curie Sklodowska [Med] 58 113–7

    Google Scholar 

  76. Y Hinoda S Sasaki T Ishida K Imai (2004) ArticleTitleMonoclonal antibodies as effective therapeutic agents for solid tumors Cancer Sci 95 621–5 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1349-7006.2004.tb03319.x Occurrence Handle15298722

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. JD Patel B Pasche A Argiris (2004) ArticleTitleTargeting non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: where do we stand, where do we go Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 50 175–86 Occurrence Handle15182824

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. F Ciardiello F De Vita M Orditura S De Placido G Tortora (2003) ArticleTitleEpidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in late stage clinical trials Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 8 501–14 Occurrence Handle10.1517/14728214.8.2.501 Occurrence Handle14662002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. BF El-Rayes PM LoRusso (2004) ArticleTitleTargeting the epidermal growth factor receptor Br J Cancer 91 418–24 Occurrence Handle10.1038/sj.bjc.6601921 Occurrence Handle15238978

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany

    Philipp Ströbel, Alexander Marx, Andreas Zettl & Hans Konrad Müller-Hermelink

Authors
  1. Philipp Ströbel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexander Marx
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andreas Zettl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ströbel, P., Marx, A., Zettl, A. et al. Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma: An Update of the WHO Classification 2004. Surg Today 35, 805–811 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-005-3047-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-005-3047-y

Key words

Search

Navigation