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NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™
Thymic
Malignancies
V.2.2010
www.nccn.org
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
NCCN Thymic Malignancies Panel Members
† Medical Oncology
¶ Surgery/Surgical oncology
§ Radiation oncology/
Pathology
‡ Hematology/Hematology oncology
Radiotherapy
*Writing Committee Member
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NCCN Guidelines Panel Disclosures
*David S. Ettinger, MD/Chair †
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer
Center at Johns Hopkins
Wallace Akerley, MD
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of
Utah
Gerold Bepler, MD, PhD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research
Institute
Matthew G. Blum, MD
Andrew Chang, MD
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer
Center
Richard T. Cheney, MD
Lucian R. Chirieac, MD
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer
Center
†
†
¶
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
of Northwestern University
¶
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Thomas A. D’Amico, MD ¶
Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
Todd L. Demmy, MD ¶
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Apar Kishor P. Ganti, MD †
UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska
Medical Center
Ramaswamy Govindan, MD †
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish
Hospital and Washington University School of
Medicine
Frederic W. Grannis, Jr., MD ¶
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
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Raymond U. Osarogiagbon, MD
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/University
of Tennessee Cancer Institute
Gregory A. Otterson, MD †
Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital & Richard J.
Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State
University
Jyoti D. Patel, MD ‡
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of
Northwestern University
Katherine M. Pisters, MD ¶ †
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center
Karen Reckamp, MD, MS †
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
†
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center
†
¶
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer
Center
¶
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle
Cancer Care Alliance
Stephen C. Yang, MD ¶
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer
Center at Johns Hopkins
Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Eric Rohren, MD, PhD
George R. Simon, MD
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Scott J. Swanson, MD
Douglas E. Wood, MD
†
ф
Thierry Jahan, MD †
Mohammad Jahanzeb, MD
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/University of
Tennessee Cancer Institute
David H. Johnson, MD
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Anne Kessinger, MD
UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska
Medical Center
Ritsuko Komaki, MD
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center
Feng-Ming Kong, MD, PhD
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer
Center
Mark G. Kris, MD †
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer
Center
†
†
†
§
§
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Lee M. Krug, MD †
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Quynh-Thu Le, MD §
Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center
Inga T. Lennes, MD †
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Renato Martins, MD †
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle
Cancer Care Alliance
Janis O’Malley, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Comprehensive Cancer Center
ф
*
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Table of Contents
NCCN Thymic Malignancies Panel Members
Summary of Guidelines Updates
Initial Evaluation (THYM-1)
Initial Management (THYM-2)
Resectable Disease (THYM-3)
Advanced Disease (THYM-4)
Principles of Surgical Resection (THYM-A)
Principles of Radiation Therapy (THYM-B)
Principles of Chemotherapy (THYM-C)
Guidelines Index
Print the Thymic Malignancies Guideline
These guidelines are a statement of evidence and consensus of the authors regarding their views of currently accepted approaches to treatment.
Any clinician seeking to apply or consult these guidelines is expected to use independent medical judgment in the context of individual clinical
circumstances to determine any patient's care or treatment. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network makes no representations nor warranties
of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use, or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way. These
guidelines are copyrighted by National Comprehensive Cancer Network. All rights reserved. These guidelines and the illustrations herein may not
be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN. ©2010.
Clinical Trials:
Categories of Evidence and
Consensus:
NCCN
All recommendations
are Category 2A unless otherwise
specified. See
The
believes that the best management
for any cancer patient is in a clinical
trial. Participation in clinical trials is
especially encouraged.
NCCN
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Click here to find a clinical
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Staging
Discussion
References
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Summary of the Guidelines updates
UPDATES
Summary of the changes in the 1.2010 version of the Thymic Malignancies Guidelines from the 2.2009 version include:
”MRI of the chest, as clinically indicated” was added to the workup section.
Thyroid levels and PFTs were clarified “as clinically indicated.”
R0 resection;
ostoperative RT was clarified “for high-risk patients” with a category 2B designation.
“Resection of isolated oligometastases” was removed as an initial treatment option for localized tumors.
”Re-evaluate for surgery” was added after chemotherapy.
The outcomes of “resectable” and “unresectable” were added after the re-evaluation for surgery.
For resectable disease, the option listed is “surgical resection” with a clarifying statement “of primary tumor and isolated metastases.” A
subsequent treatment option of “consider postoperative RT” was also added.
The following bullets are new to the Principles of Surgical Resection page:
Phrenic nerve was added to bullet 5.
Principles of Radiation Therapy revised to include General Principles, recommendations for Radiation Dose and Radiation Volume, and
Radiation Techniques.
Reference in footnote “2” updated.
Carboplatin/paclitaxel regimen modified and reference added, “Lemma GL, Loehrer PJ, Lee JW, et al. A phase II study of carboplatin plus
paclitaxel in advanced thymoma or thymic carcinoma: E1C99. J Clin Oncol 2008;26:abstr 8018.”
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patients with thymoma, or thymic carcinoma with capsular invasion:
Consider p
Surgical biopsy should be avoided if a resectable thymoma is strongly suspected based on clinical and radiologic features (category 2B).
Biopsy of a possible thymoma should avoid a transpleural approach (category 2B).
During thymectomy, the pleural surfaces should be examined for pleural metastases. In some cases, resection of pleural metastases to
achieve complete gross resection may be appropriate.
Minimally invasive procedures are not routinely recommended due to lack of long-term data.
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THYM-1
THYM-4
THYM-A
THYM-B
THYM-C
THYM-3
The 2.2010 version of the Thymic Malignancies guidelines represents the addition of the Discussion section correspondent to the changes in
the algorithm.
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Note: All recommendations are category 2A unless otherwise indicated.
Clinical Trials: NCCN believes that the best management of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial. Participation in clinical trials is especially encouraged.
THYM-1
Mediastinal Mass
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CT chest with contrast
Serum beta-HCG, AFP, if appropriate
CBC, platelets
FDG-PET and radiolabeled octreotide
scan optional
TSH, T3, T4 levels, as clinically
indicated
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs), as
clinically indicated
MRI chest, as clinically indicated
INITIAL EVALUATION
Thymic
malignancy likely
Thymic malignancy
unlikely
See Initial Management
(THYM-2)
See disease specific guidelines
(NCCN Table of Contents)
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Note: All recommendations are category 2A unless otherwise indicated.
Clinical Trials: NCCN believes that the best management of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial. Participation in clinical trials is especially encouraged.
THYM-2
INITIAL MANAGEMENT
Thymic malignancy likely:
All patients should be
managed by a
multidisciplinary team with
experience in the
management of thymoma
Surgically resectable
Locally advanced,
not resectable
Surgical resection (total
thymectomy and complete
excision of tumor)
a
Tissue diagnosis with core
needle biopsy or open biopsy
(Biopsy should not violate
the pleural space)
See Postoperative
Management (THYM-3)
See Treatment
(THYM-4)
a .See Principles of Surgical Resection for Thymic Malignancies (THYM-A)
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Note: All recommendations are category 2A unless otherwise indicated.
Clinical Trials: NCCN believes that the best management of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial. Participation in clinical trials is especially encouraged.
THYM-3
POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENTRESECTABLE DISEASEa
Pathology
evaluation
R0 resection
R1 resection
R2 resection
Thymoma, no
capsular invasion
Thymoma or thymic
carcinoma, capsular
invasion present
Thymoma
Thymic
carcinoma
Thymoma or thymic
carcinoma
Surveillance for recurrence
with annual chest CT
Consider
postoperative RT
in high-risk patients
(category 2B)
b
Postoperative RTb
Postoperative
+ Chemotherapy
RTb
c
RT ± chemotherapyb c
Surveillance for recurrence
with annual chest CT
a .
b
c
.
.
See Principles of Surgical Resection for Thymic Malignancies (THYM-A)
See Principles of Radiation Therapy for Thymic Malignancies (THYM-B)
See Principles of Chemotherapy for Thymic Malignancies (THYM-C)
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Note: All recommendations are category 2A unless otherwise indicated.
Clinical Trials: NCCN believes that the best management of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial. Participation in clinical trials is especially encouraged.
THYM-4
ADVANCED DISEASE
Thymoma
or thymic
carcinoma
Localized tumor
Evidence of distant
metastases
Chemotherapyc
Chemotherapyc
Surgical resection
of primary tumor
and isolated
metastases
TREATMENT
Re-evaluate
for surgery
RT ±
chemotherapy
b
c
Resectablea
Unresectable
Consider
postoperative RTb
a .
b
c
.
.
See Principles of Surgical Resection for Thymic Malignancies (THYM-A)
See Principles of Radiation Therapy for Thymic Malignancies (THYM-B)
See Principles of Chemotherapy for Thymic Malignancies (THYM-C)
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Note: All recommendations are category 2A unless otherwise indicated.
Clinical Trials: NCCN believes that the best management of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial. Participation in clinical trials is especially encouraged.
THYM-A
PRINCIPLES OF SURGICAL RESECTION FOR THYMIC MALIGNANCIES
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Surgical biopsy should be avoided if a resectable thymoma is strongly suspected based on clinical and radiologic
features (category 2B).
Biopsy of a possible thymoma should avoid a transpleural approach (category 2B).
Prior to surgery, patients should be evaluated for signs and symptoms of myasthenia gravis and they should be
medically controlled prior to undergoing surgical resection.
Goal of surgery is complete excision of the lesion with total thymectomy and complete resection of contiguous and
noncontiguous disease.
Complete resection may require the resection of adjacent structures including pericardium, phrenic nerve, pleura,
lung, and even major vascular structures.
During thymectomy, the pleural surfaces should be examined for pleural metastases. In some cases, resection of
pleural metastases to achieve complete gross resection may be appropriate.
Minimally invasive procedures are not routinely recommended due to lack of long-term data.
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Note: All recommendations are category 2A unless otherwise indicated.
Clinical Trials: NCCN believes that the best management of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial. Participation in clinical trials is especially encouraged.
THYM-B
1 OF 2
PRINCIPLES OF RADIATION THERAPY FOR THYMIC MALIGNANCIES (1 of 2)
General principles
Radiation Dose
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Prior to surgery, all patients should be evaluated by radiation oncologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, diagnostic imaging
specialists, and pulmonologists for evaluation of resectability of the tumor and operability of the patients.
RT should be given for patients with unresectable (after failure of induction chemotherapy) or incompletely resected invasive thymoma
or thymic carcinoma.
Prior to RT, any cardiac, pulmonary, and/or neurological toxicities related to the paraneoplastic syndrome, surgery, or induction
chemotherapy need to be documented as baseline.
Radiation oncologists need to communicate with the surgeon to review the operative findings and to help determine the target volume
at risk, and also with the pathologist regarding the detailed pathology report regarding extra-capsular extension and histology.
Acronyms and abbreviations of RT are the same as listed in the Principles of RT for non-small cell lung cancer.
The dose and fractionation schemes of RT depend on the indication of the radiation and the completeness of surgical resection in
postoperative cases.
A dose of 60-70 Gy should be given to patients with unresectable disease.
For adjuvant treatment, the radiation dose consists of 45-50 Gy for clear/close margins and 54 Gy for microscopically positive resection
margins. A total dose of 60 Gy and above should be given to patients with gross residual disease (similar to patients with unresectable
disease), when conventional fractionation (1.8 to 2.0 Gy per daily fraction) is applied.1
See NCCN Non-Small
Cell Lung Cancer Guidelines
1Mornex F, Resbeut M, Richaud P, et al. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy for invasive thymomas: a multicentric retrospective review of 90 cases. The FNCLCC trialists.
Federation Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1995;32:651-9.
See Radiation Volume and
Radiation Techniques THYM-B 2 of 2
Version 2.2010, 02/23/10 © 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. These guidelines and this illustration may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN.
Practice Guidelines
in Oncology – v.2.2010
Guidelines Index
Thymic Table of Contents
Staging, Discussion, ReferencesThymic MalignanciesNCCN
®
Radiation Volume
Radiation Techniques
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The gross tumor volume (GTV) should include any grossly visible tumor. Surgical clips indicative of gross residual tumor should be
included for postoperative cases.
The clinical tumor volume (CTV) for postoperative RT should encompass the entire thymus (for partial resection cases) and any
potential sites with residual disease. The CTV should be reviewed with the thoracic surgeon.
Extensive elective nodal irradiation (entire mediastinum and bilateral supraclavicular nodal regions) is not recommended, as thymomas
do not commonly metastasize to regional lymph nodes.
The planning target volume (PTV) should consider the target motion and daily set-up error. The PTV margin should be based on the
individual patient's motion, simulation techniques used (with and without inclusion motion), and reproducibility of daily set-up of each
clinic.
CT-based planning is highly recommended. CT scans should be taken in the treatment position with arms raised above head (treatment
position). Simulations of target motion are encouraged whenever possible. CT scans can be performed at the end of natural inhale,
exhale, and under free breathing, when more sophisticated techniques like 4D CT, gated CT, or active breathing control (ABC) are not
available. Target motion should be managed using the Principles of RT for non-small cell lung cancer.
. Intravenous contrast is beneficial in the unresectable setting.
Radiation beam arrangements should be selected based on the shape of PTV aiming to confine the prescribed high dose to the target
and minimize dose to adjacent critical structures. Anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior (AP/PA) ports weighting more anteriorly, or
wedge pair technique may be considered. These techniques, although commonly used during the traditional 2D era, can generate
excessive dose to normal tissue
RT should be given by 3D conformal technique to reduce surrounding normal tissue damage (e.g., heart, lungs, esophagus, and spinal
cord). Intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) may further improve the dose distribution and decrease dose to the normal tissue as indicated. If
IMRT is applied, the NCT/ASTRO IMRT guidelines should be
followed strictly.
In addition to following the normal tissue constraints recommendation using the Principles of RT for non-small cell lung cancer, special
attention should be paid to minimize the dose volumes to all the normal structures. Since these patient