Molecular Analysis and Treatment Options of Thymic Malignancies

Thymic malignancies are the most common tumors of the anterior mediastinum, though surgery and radiation often effectively treat thymic carcinomas, a minority continue to progress and eventually lead to death. Therefore, there is an unmet need for more effective therapies for thymic malignancies. Considering the role of molecular alterations has yet to be defined in the treatment of thymoma and thymic malignancies, there is an urgent recognition that molecular alterations in the thymic malignancies are important to predict response and survival for novel targeted therapies.

In summary, identification of genetic alterations in thymic malignancies is increasingly essential to perform molecular diagnostics and individualized treatments. This project aims to create a registry of patients with thymic malignancies to further the characterization of molecular alterations and develop (novel) treatments based on the detection.