ArticleLung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands)2016
Expression of mesothelin in thymic carcinoma and its potential therapeutic significance.
Article in Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationship of possible biomarkers with malignancy of thymic tumors: a meta-analysis.BMC cancer · 2020Pooled it
- Clinical and Immunologic Features of Primary Enteric-Type Thymic Adenocarcinomas: A Rare Variant of a Rare Cancer.JTO clinical and research reports · 2026Article
- Precision Oncology in Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Therapeutic Horizons and Implementation Barriers.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Palliative Systemic Therapy in Advanced Thymic Epithelial Tumors in 2026-A Narrative Review.Cancers · 2026Review
- Oncologic strategies and options for the management of metastatic thymic carcinoma.Mediastinum (Hong Kong, China) · 2026Review
- Current Clinical Paradigm and Therapeutic Advancements in Thymic Malignancies: A Narrative Review.Cancers · 2025Review
- Immunotherapy for Thymomas and Thymic Carcinomas: Current Status and Future Directions.Cancers · 2024Review
- Thymic Carcinomas-A Concise Multidisciplinary Update on Recent Developments From the Thymic Carcinoma Working Group of the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group.Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer · 2022Review
- Review
- Clinical Significance of Tumor Markers for Advanced Thymic Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis from the NEJ023 Study.Cancers · 2022Article
- An Overview on Molecular Characterization of Thymic Tumors: Old and New Targets for Clinical Advances.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Diagnostic Roles of Immunohistochemistry in Thymic Tumors: Differentiation between Thymic Carcinoma and Thymoma.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Diffuse mesothelin expression leads to worse prognosis through enhanced cellular proliferation in colorectal cancer.Oncology letters · 2020Article
- Deciphering the biology of thymic epithelial tumors.Mediastinum (Hong Kong, China) · 2019Article
- Uncommon efforts for an uncommon tumor: the case for development of newer systemic therapies for advanced thymic epithelial tumors.Mediastinum (Hong Kong, China) · 2018Article
- Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy for Thoracic Malignancies.Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer · 2018Review
- Novel Agents in the Treatment of Thymic Malignancies.Current treatment options in oncology · 2017Review
- Combining immunotherapy and radiation therapy for small cell lung cancer and thymic tumors.Translational lung cancer research · 2017Review
- Amatuximab and novel agents targeting mesothelin for solid tumors.OncoTargets and therapy · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesAdvanced thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) lack adequate treatment options in part due to absence of well characterized tumor-specific antigens. Mesothelin, a cell surface antigen, has been used successfully as a target for tumor-directed therapy. We sought to determine tumor expression and serum levels of mesothelin in patients with TETs. PATIENTS AND
methodsTissue samples were obtained from 71 patients with histologically confirmed, unresectable advanced TETs and evaluated for mesothelin expression by immunohistochemistry. The evaluation was blinded for clinical data and outcome. Mesothelin expression and its association with clinico-pathological parameters and survival were assessed.
resultsThymic carcinoma, thymoma, and thymic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) accounted for 34 (48%), 29 (41%), and 8 (11%) cases respectively. Mesothelin expression was seen in a significantly larger proportion of thymic carcinoma (27/34, 79%) than thymoma (3/29, 10%) (P<0.0001) and was absent in thymic NETs. Among thymic carcinomas 13/34 (38%) showed expression in nearly all tumor cells. Immunoreactivity was membranous, strong, and homogenous. Patients with thymic carcinoma and high mesothelin expression (in >50% of tumor cells) had significantly improved overall survival (median not reached, n=19) compared to patients with no or low mesothelin expression (1.60 years; 95% CI: 1.24-4.94 years; n=15; HR=4.46, 95% CI: 1.55-12.80; p=0.0026).
conclusionMesothelin expression is frequently observed in advanced thymic carcinomas, infrequently in thymomas and is absent in thymic NETs. Due to strong, membranous expression mesothelin is a potential therapeutic target in thymic carcinoma.
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