Long-term survival after salvage surgery for invasive thymoma with intracardiac extension

Abstract

We report a case of successful salvage surgery for invasive thymoma initially judged to be unresectable that did not respond to sequential chemoradiotherapy. The patient underwent en bloc resection of the tumor, superior vena cava, upper portion of the right atrium (RA) and intracardiac neoplastic thrombus with the aid of a cardiopulmonary bypass without cardiac arrest. The patient is disease free 8.5 years after radical thymectomy and subsequent resection of 2 second primary lung adenocarcinomas.