Disease Introduction
Thymic carcinoma is a rare mediastinal tumor originating from thymic epithelial cells and significantly more malignant than thymoma. It commonly occurs in the anterior superior mediastinum. Early stages may be asymptomatic, but as it progresses, symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, superior vena cava syndrome, or distant metastases. Treatment primarily involves extensive surgical resection, followed by radiotherapy based on staging. For advanced, unresectable, or recurrent cases, platinum-based chemotherapy is used. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies are being explored in populations with high PD-L1 expression.
Cutting-edge high-precision diagnostic and treatment technologies
- Subxiphoid single-port VATS : In 2025, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC completed a single-port thoracoscopic radical resection of giant thymic carcinoma via the subxiphoid approach without air filling. The patient was discharged 8 days after the operation.
- Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy : A phase II study of PD-1 inhibitor penemprimab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line induction therapy for newly diagnosed thymic carcinoma showed an objective response rate of 55.6% and a disease control rate of 94.5%.
- Benefits of high PD-L1 expression : Thymic carcinoma often highly expresses PD-L1, and the objective response rate of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors is about 19% to 23%, with more significant benefits in PD-L1 positive patients;
- Exploration of Immunotherapy Combined with Radiotherapy : Case and review reports from 2025 show that pembrolizumab combined with local radiotherapy achieved complete pathological remission, and that immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy showed potential in advanced thymic squamous cell carcinoma;
- Extended resection and reconstruction : In 2025, Jilin Provincial Cancer Hospital and other institutions completed extended resection of thymic carcinoma involving the superior vena cava, combined with autologous pericardium and artificial vascular reconstruction, giving locally advanced patients the opportunity for radical cure.
