Characteristics and outcome of systemic treatment for metastatic or unresectable thymic carcinoma: A single institution experience

Abstract Background Thymic carcinoma is a rare disease with an incidence of around 0.5 cases per million with a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to assess patient outcomes with advanced thymic carcinoma receiving first‐line chemotherapy. Methods In our retrospective cohort study, we included patients who underwent treatment for metastatic thymic carcinoma between January 2013 to December 2019 in our hospital. Overall survival, progression‐free survival (PFS), objective response rates (ORR) and chemotherapy regimens were assessed and analyzed. Results A total of 27 patients were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received a platinum (cisplatin or carboplatin) based regimen as first‐line chemotherapy (29.6% received ADOC, 11.1% received PE, 40.7% received CP, 14.8% received CAP). The median PFS on first‐line chemotherapy was 199 days. The response rate was 40.7%. Median overall survival (OS) was 585 days. Positive CD5 staining was associated with better PFS. Conclusion We highlight the critical role of platinum‐based chemotherapy agents as a primary treatment modality in advanced thymic carcinoma, underscoring the efficacy of platinum as a first‐line option for recurrent disease, even in cases previously treated with platinum. Additionally, our findings indicate that CD5 positivity could be associated with improved PFS, suggesting its potential as a prognostic marker.