Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Semin Diagn Pathol 2020 May 15. Epub 2020 May 15.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD United States.

Thymic epithelial neoplasms are rare as these tumors represent less than 1% of all human tumors. In addition, thymic hyperplasia and thymic cysts can also present as anterior or less often superior mediastinal masses. Fine needle aspirates and core biopsies of thymic epithelial neoplasms are rarely encountered in routine pathology practices. Read More

Gene 2020 May 19:144774. Epub 2020 May 19.

Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, Lab. of Medical Genetics, University of Pisa, Medical School, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.

Background: Hypermethylation of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor gene (GHSR) is increasingly observed in human cancers, suggesting that it could represent a pan-cancer biomarker of clinical interest. However, little is still known concerning GHSR methylation levels in thymic epithelial tumors, and particularly in thymomas from patients with Myasthenia Gravis (TAMG).

Material And Methods: In the present study we collected DNA samples from circulating lymphocytes and surgically resected tumor tissues of 65 TAMG patients, and from the adjacent healthy thymic tissue available from 43 of them. Read More

Innovations (Phila) 2020 May 22:1556984520922932. Epub 2020 May 22.

12314 Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelpia, PA, USA.

Med Sci Monit 2020 May 20;26:e923967. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to summarize the clinical experience of thymic cysts treatment from a single center. MATERIAL AND METHODS Clinical data, imaging, pathological results, and follow-up results of thymic cyst patients who underwent surgery from January 2013 to September 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS A total of 117 patients were enrolled, including 76 asymptomatic patients and 41 symptomatic patients. Read More

Front Immunol 2020 30;11:773. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States.

The thymus is the central lymphoid organ for T cell development, a cradle of T cells, and for central tolerance establishment, an educator of T cells, maintaining homeostatic cellular immunity. T cell immunity is critical to control cancer occurrence, relapse, and antitumor immunity. Evidence on how aberrant thymic function influences cancer remains largely insufficient, however, there has been recent progress. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):342-351

Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.

Background: Over the years, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) thymectomy has progressively replaced trans-sternotomy (TS) in early-stage thymoma (Masaoka stage I and stage II). This meta-analysis aimed to confirm the differences in the efficacies of VATS and TS approaches in early-stage thymoma patients.

Methods: A thorough literature search of the following online databases was performed: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Read More

Lung Cancer 2020 May 6;145:40-47. Epub 2020 May 6.

Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan. Electronic address:

Objectives: Whether the extent of expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is clinically significant remains uncertain, although immuno-oncological features have been studied in thymic epithelial cell tumors (TETs). We investigated the histological features of PD-L1 expression in TETs, and assessed PD-L1 expression using digital image analysis.

Materials And Methods: Participants comprised 66 patients with TET who underwent surgical resection between 2001 and 2016. Read More

Semin Oncol 2020 May 6. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Oncology, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano, TO, Italy.

Background Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) include malignancies with different origins, clinical presentations and prognosis. Synchronous or metachronous ocular metastases from NET are extremely rare. The diagnostic algorithm and the management of this entity has not been established. Read More

J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020 May 12. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department of Endocrine Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Context: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary disease caused by loss-of-function of the MEN1 gene, a tumor suppressor gene encoding for the protein menin. It is characterized by the occurrence of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (dpNET), pituitary tumors (PIT), adrenal adenomas (ADR) and bronchopulmonary (bp-NET), thymic and gastric neuroendocrine tumors. More insight into factors influencing the age-related penetrance of MEN1 manifestations could provide clues for more personalized screening programs. Read More

Thorac Cancer 2020 May 8. Epub 2020 May 8.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Objectives: To evaluate the oncological prognosis and neurological outcomes for patients with thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) after thymectomy.

Methods: Consecutive patients with TETs who underwent thymectomy at Beijing Hospital from January 2011 to December 2018 were retrospectively enrolled into the study. Clinical, pathological, and perioperative data was collected. Read More

Thorac Cancer 2020 May 6. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Haikou People's Hospital, Haikou, China.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which have little or no ability to encode proteins, have attracted special attention due to their potential role in cancer disease. In this study we aimed to establish a lncRNAs classifier to improve the accuracy of recurrence prediction for thymic epithelial tumors (TETs).

Methods: TETs RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data set and the matched clinicopathologic information were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas. Read More

Tumori 2020 May 5:300891620915788. Epub 2020 May 5.

Department of Thoracic Disease Center, Zhejiang Rongjun Hospital, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China.

Background: The immune checkpoint ligand, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), is expressed in various tumors and associated with response to drugs that target programmed cell death protein 1. Previous studies have estimated the level of PD-L1 expression among different stages of thymoma and thymic carcinoma to evaluate its potential use as a diagnostic factor; however, its varying expression level has been problematic. We conducted this meta-analysis of published literature to evaluate PD-L1 expression in thymomas and thymic carcinomas. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 Apr 29;10(1):7493. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Imaging Department, Shanxi Tumor Hospital, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030013, P.R. China.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. Read More

Oncol Rep 2020 Apr 11;43(4):1256-1266. Epub 2020 Feb 11.

Department of Radiology, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, Guangdong 529030, P.R. China.

In the present study, we aimed to construct a radiomics model using contrast‑enhanced computed tomography (CT) to predict the pathological invasiveness of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). We retrospectively reviewed the records of 179 consecutive patients (89 females) with histologically confirmed TETs from two hospitals. The 82 low‑ and 97 high‑risk TETs were assigned to training (90 tumors), internal validation (49 tumors) and external validation (40 tumors) cohorts. Read More

Radiol Med 2020 Apr 18. Epub 2020 Apr 18.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, via Rita Levi Montalcini, 4, 20090, Pieve Emanuele, Milano, Italy.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the ability of radiomics, applied to not-enhanced computed tomography (CT), to differentiate mediastinal masses as thymic neoplasms vs lymphomas.

Methods: The present study was an observational retrospective trial. Inclusion criteria were pathology-proven thymic neoplasia or lymphoma with mediastinal localization, availability of CT. Read More

Eur Respir J 2020 05 14;55(5). Epub 2020 May 14.

Dept of Pulmonology and Thoracic Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.

Nat Immunol 2020 May 13;21(5):567-577. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Unprimed mice harbor a substantial population of 'memory-phenotype' CD8 T cells (CD8-MP cells) that exhibit hallmarks of activation and innate-like functional properties. Due to the lack of faithful markers to distinguish CD8-MP cells from bona fide CD8 memory T cells, the developmental origins and antigen specificities of CD8-MP cells remain incompletely defined. Using deep T cell antigen receptor (TCR) sequencing, we found that the TCRs expressed by CD8-MP cells are highly recurrent and distinct from the TCRs expressed by naive-phenotype CD8 T cells. Read More

Cancer Sci 2020 Apr 11. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Thymic carcinoma is a rare malignant disease with no standard systemic chemotherapy. The purpose of the present study was to investigate tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) in the tumor microenvironment (TME), focusing on the impact of TIIC and program death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on clinical outcomes in thymic cancer. Patients with thymic carcinoma resected between 1973 and 2017 were investigated. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2020 Mar;12(3):448-456

Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Japan.

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) is a transforming growth factor-β superfamily member. We examined whether BMP-7 expression in thymic epithelial tumors is associated with their clinicopathological features.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-two clinical specimens were analyzed in this study. Read More

Cancer Treat Rev 2020 Mar 23;86:102014. Epub 2020 Mar 23.

Division of Medical Oncology for Melanoma, Sarcoma, and Rare Tumors, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

In the last few years, meaningful advances have been made in the knowledge of the biology of Thymic Epithelial Tumors (TETs). Data available suggest that in most cases, the different histological subtypes could be distinct biological entities, characterized by specific molecular aberrations, rather than representing a histological continuum of diseases. Recurrent gene mutations in Thymomas and Thymic Carcinoma have been identified, but we still do not know the exact role played by these mutations in TETs pathogenesis. Read More

Case Rep Otolaryngol 2020 11;2020:9127635. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Department of Otolaryngology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, MMDU, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India.

Ectopic cervical thymus is a rare congenital anomaly, which results because of the failure of complete descent of the thymus. They are incidental findings in the young and may disappear during the early years of life; however, they have rarely been described in adults. Some of them may undergo hyperplasia or neoplastic transformation and become visible or cause symptoms. Read More

Rinsho Ketsueki 2020 ;61(3):268-273

Dept. of Medical Oncology, Sapporo Medical University.

This report presents the case of a 68-year-old female patient previously diagnosed with thymoma by her local doctor. She was referred to our hospital for surgery, and the thymoma was removed and diagnosed as a World Health Organization (WHO) classification type AB thymoma. After surgery, she experienced general malaise, a loss of appetite, and weight loss, so she visited our hospital in May 2019. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2020 Mar 30;12(6):4815-4821. Epub 2020 Mar 30.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.

Background: To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival outcomes of patients with thymic epithelial tumors (TET) according to age at diagnosis.

Results: A total of 4431 patients were analyzed. Gender, race, tumor histology and surgery were similar between different age groups. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Mar;99(13):e19462

Department of Nephrology and Institute of Nephrology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China.

Introduction: Primary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas originating in thymus is rare. And, there have been few reports of patients with MALT coexisting with amyloidosis. As far as we know, this was the first case report on MALT lymphoma associated with renal amyloidosis. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 Mar 26;10(1):5511. Epub 2020 Mar 26.

Imaging Department, Shanxi Tumor Hospital, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030013, P.R. China.

To evaluate the role of conventional contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) imaging and dual-energy spectral CT (DECT) perfusion imaging in differentiating the WHO histological subtypes of thymic epithelial tumours (TETs). Eighty-eight patients with TETs who underwent DECT perfusion scans (n = 51) and conventional CT enhancement scans (n = 37) using a GE Discovery CT750 HD scanner were enrolled in this study. The mean maximal contrast-enhanced range (mean CEmax) and the perfusion and spectral parameters of the lesions were analysed. Read More

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2020 Mar 1;21(3):653-661. Epub 2020 Mar 1.

Oncology Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Objective: Our objectives are to investigate the clinicopathological features, treatment modalities, and prognostic and prognostic factors in order to estimate long-term outcomes for patients with thymoma and thymic carcinoma at our institution.

Methods: We reviewed all patients diagnosed with thymic malignancies malignancies over a period of 38 years (from 1976 to 2014). Patients were identified using a single institution database at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH and RC), Riyadh. Read More

Zhongguo Fei Ai Za Zhi 2020 Mar;23(3):168-175

Department of Thoracic Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha 410006, China.

Background: Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, an uncommon epithelial tumor, is mostly originated form the nasopharynx and also occurs in foregut-derived organs, such as lung, stomach, salivary gland, and thymus. Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PPLELC) is a rare subtype accounting for around 0.9% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read More

Mod Pathol 2020 Mar 12. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

INSM1 is a diagnostic marker for neuroendocrine tumors originating in multiple anatomic sites. In the lung, INSM1 shows 76-97% sensitivity for neuroendocrine tumors overall. Our aim was to characterize INSM1 as a diagnostic marker for small cell carcinoma in the context of its epithelial, lymphoid, and mesenchymal morphologic mimics. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2020 Mar 20. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

Thorac Cancer 2020 May 20;11(5):1160-1169. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Background: Thymic epithelial tumors (TET) are frequently eligible for curative-intent surgical resection. For locally advanced TETs, chemotherapy has been used to both reduce the tumor burden and achieve prolonged disease control. However, effective therapy for this disease largely remains to be determined. Read More

J Radiol Case Rep 2020 Jan 31;14(1):1-11. Epub 2020 Jan 31.

Imaging Department, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, Florida, USA.

Primary neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus are extremely rare. In this report, we describe a case of a 69 year-old man with an intermediate grade thymic neuroendocrine tumor. The radiologic and histopathologic features of thymic neuroendocrine tumors are discussed with reference to relevant literature. Read More

Rinsho Ketsueki 2020 ;61(2):128-130

Department of Hematology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine.

A 64-year-old male presented with a rapidly growing anterior mediastinal mass during the clinical course of atypical chronic myeloid leukemia. A needle biopsy performed for suspected myeloid sarcoma revealed the presence of Aspergillus abscess. Early diagnosis of mediastinal abscesses, which are associated with a high mortality rate, can prevent the progression of severity. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 Mar 4;10(1):4064. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Department of Clinical Research in Tumor Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Indications for current immune checkpoint inhibitors are expanding and now include thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Although clinical trials on immune checkpoint inhibitors for TETs are ongoing, a rationale has not yet been established for immunotherapy for TETs. Therefore, we herein performed phenotypic and functional analyses of T cells in surgically resected TET tissues with a focus on the anti-tumor properties of T cells to TETs as a step towards establishing a rationale for immunotherapy for TETs. Read More

Acta Med Port 2020 Mar 2;33(3):212. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Serviço de Radiologia. Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil. Lisboa. Portugal.

BMC Neurol 2020 Mar 4;20(1):76. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Department of Medical Oncology, Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 351 Mingyue Road, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang Province, China.

Background: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder arising from mutations of the MEN1 tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 11q13; MEN1 is characterized by the development of neuroendocrine tumors, including those of the parathyroid, gastrointestinal endocrine tissue and anterior pituitary. Additionally, thymic neuroendocrine tumors in MEN1 are also rarely reported.

Case Presentation: This case report observed a family that presented with MEN1 p. Read More

Visc Med 2020 Feb 24;36(1):3-9. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.

Background: Some gender-related differences have been reported in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), although not all reports are conclusive. This systematic review with analysis of the own MEN1 cohort evaluates gender differences and potential consequences for screening.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature between 1990 and 2019 with the search terms "MEN1" or "multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1" and "gender" or "sex" was performed. Read More

Turk Gogus Kalp Damar Cerrahisi Derg 2019 Jul 21;27(3):407-410. Epub 2019 Jun 21.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey.

Thymic carcinoid tumors are rare tumors which may be associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. Bronchial carcinoids are also rare tumors and associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. Coexisting of thymic and bronchial carcinoid tumors in this case is extremely rare. Read More

Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi 2020 Feb;49(2):195-197

Department of Pathology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.

Autoimmun Rev 2020 Apr 14;19(4):102498. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Neuromuscular and Rare Disease Center, Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), SAPIENZA University, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Myastenia-Inflammatory Myopathy (MG-IM) association has been described in less than 50 cases, as isolated reports or in few case series. In most cases, MG and IM onset occur simultaneously even if the overlapping clinical manifestations could lead to delay the diagnosis in the early stage of disease. In these cases, thymic pathology is present in more than 50% of cases. Read More

Cancer Lett 2020 Apr 19;476:75-86. Epub 2020 Feb 19.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China. Electronic address:

Thymic epithelial tumors (TET) including thymomas and thymic carcinomas are rare, but they are common primary tumors in the anterior mediastinum. The etiology and tumorigenesis of TET remain unclear. To better understand the novel aberrations of this rare tumor and provide more significant mutation sites for targeted therapy, we performed next-generation sequencing detection on 55 patients with TET. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2020 Jan;12(1):3-9

Thoracic Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Background: Sternum may be involved by different diseases such as trauma, infection after cardiac surgery, tumors (primary and secondary) or chest wall deformities. Surgical excision with a safety margin is the primary goal after sternal resection for tumors, prevention of respiratory impairment due to flail chest and deformity and protection of surrounding organs are other important aims. Various techniques and materials have been used for this operation. Read More

Gland Surg 2019 Dec;8(6):691-697

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.

Background: Multiple thymic squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a rare thymic epithelial tumor with a dismal prognosis. Mutational profiles of multiple TSCC may expand our understanding of tumorigenesis and treatment options for these tumors.

Methods: We sequenced the whole exomes of 3 TSCC nodules from a multiple TSCC patient and a paired peripheral blood sample and identified single-nucleotide variants and small insertions and deletions, and also performed gene ontological and pathway analyses. Read More

Gland Surg 2019 Dec;8(6):657-662

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China.

Background: Our study aims to describe the experience of a single team in terms of the potential and benefits of subxiphoid thymectomy using a double sternum hook retractor.

Methods: From November 2016 to July 2018, 34 patients have been undergone subxiphoid thymectomy at our Department. Twenty patients were diagnosed with Masaoka Stage I-III thymomas, 12 with thymic hyperplasia or cysts of the thymus, 2 with thymic tumors. Read More

Transl Lung Cancer Res 2019 Dec;8(Suppl 4):S321-S322

Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.

Asian J Surg 2020 Jun 5;43(6):707-708. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Cell Death Differ 2020 Feb 7. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.

The pathogenesis of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) is poorly understood. Recently we reported the frequent occurrence of a missense mutation in the GTF2I gene in TETs and hypothesized that GTF2I mutation might contribute to thymic tumorigenesis. Expression of mutant TFII-I altered the transcriptome of normal thymic epithelial cells and upregulated several oncogenic genes. Read More

Nucl Med Commun 2020 Apr;41(4):405-410

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Objective: To investigate the value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) in predicting the simplified WHO grade of malignancy in thymic epithelial tumors.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 81 patients with pathologically proven thymic epithelial tumors who underwent F-FDG PET/CT before surgical resection. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and SUVmax/tumor size were measured on the primary lesion. Read More

Head Neck Pathol 2020 Feb 5. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.

Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma is a rare neck lesion originally thought to represent a non-neoplastic hamartoma, even though thymic origin has been questioned, and there is uncertainty about whether the lesion is a neoplasm. We investigated the genetics by performing targeted next generation sequencing (NGS). Three cases were identified from the authors' consultation files. Read More