China-Singapore Online, June 17 (Chen Jing, Yao Jun, Deng Tian) Will patients with thymic tumors undergo adjuvant treatment after surgery? What should be the frequency of scientific follow-up? The reporter was informed on the 17th that medical experts from 18 hospitals in 15 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China worked together to first propose a recurrence prediction model for thymic tumors (hereinafter referred to as a prediction model) and its significance for long-term prognosis management, which solved the troubles of thoracic surgery worldwide Doctor's puzzle.
The thymus is located in the human mediastinum. Thymus tumors are the most common type of mediastinal tumors. Due to the large population base in China, the actual number of thymic tumors is not low.
It is reported that the prediction model proposed by the Chinese Thymus Tumor Collaboration Group (ChART) research team led by Professor Fang Wentao, director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital shows that 80% of patients belong to the low-risk population of recurrence. Re-adjuvant therapy; 20% of patients with a high risk of recurrence, more than half of patients relapsed in the first 3 years after surgery, and almost all relapses occurred within 6 years after surgery. It is understood that the prediction model proposes targeted treatment strategies based on different types of recurrence and metastasis.
The predictive model makes detailed follow-up recommendations for patients with thymic tumors. Patients in the high-risk group should undergo a comprehensive examination for 6 years. It is recommended to review every six months for the first 3 years and once a year for the next 3 years. The scope of the examination should cover the chest, abdominal cavity, skull, bones and other body parts. For low-risk patients, the average recurrence time is 10 years, and it is limited to the mediastinum or thoracic area, so only routine chest CT follow-up is required once a year.
This latest research result is published in the official journal of the International Lung Cancer Research Association (ISLAC) and the international authoritative academic journal of Thoracic Oncology "Journal of Thoracic Oncology", which provides a powerful model for the management of thymic tumor patients in China and around the world. Clinical guidance and advice.
Chinese experts took the lead in proposing a recurrence prediction model for thymic tumors and its significance for long-term prognosis management, which solved the problems that have plagued thoracic surgeons worldwide. Photo courtesy of Shanghai Chest Hospital
Professor Fang Wentao said in an interview on the 17th that in the previous concept, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were often performed after thymus tumor surgery to prevent the risk of recurrence; during the treatment process, if the examination is too frequent, it will not only increase the patient's time and economy The burden can also cause panic in the patient psychologically. However, if the examination is not careful enough, it will delay some patients with recurrence and metastasis. He admitted that these are international problems that have plagued thoracic surgeons all year round.
As soon as the research results of Chinese experts were published, they immediately gained wide attention from international colleagues. Two hospitals in Rome, Italy, and one national cancer center respectively used thymic tumor postoperative recurrence prediction models to manage patients after surgery. The results confirmed that this model proposed by Chinese experts is accurate and effective, and has universality and generalization, and can be applied to patients with thymic tumors all over the world.
At present, Professor Fang Wentao's team is leading the main member unit of the Chinese Anticancer Association's Mediastinal Tumor Committee. Based on the results of this predictive model, a national multi-center prospective clinical study is being carried out with a view to further verifying thymic tumor surgery through evidence-based medical evidence. The accuracy and effectiveness of adjuvant therapy,
It is reported that in 2012, Shanghai Chest Hospital led the establishment of the "China Thymus Tumor Collaboration Group"; in 2016, led the establishment of the China Clinical Oncology Association CSCO Mediastinal Tumor Expert Committee; in 2019, led the establishment of the China Anticancer Association Mediastinal Tumor Professional Committee. Over the years, Shanghai Chest Hospital has collaborated with various units to carry out research on all aspects of disease management, contributing to the establishment of international standards for the diagnosis and treatment of thymic tumors. (Finish)