부산대학교 도서관

Purpose. According to the current Japanese clinical practice guidelines on thymic tumors, complete tumor resection accompanied by thymectomy is recommended in surgery for early-stage thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). However, in some cases of early-stage TETs, partial thymectomy is performed. In addition to surgical procedures, the extent to which clinical practice guidelines concerning thymic tumors are used as a reference for perioperative care is unclear. Methods. A questionnaire survey was conducted regarding clinical practice, such as surgical procedures, adjuvant therapy, and the postoperative follow-up period, in patients with TETs. Results. A total of 30 board-certified surgeons of the Japanese Association for Chest Surgery (JACS) in Nagoya University and affiliated hospitals responded to the questionnaire survey. Two-thirds of the board-certified surgeons of the JACS (20/30) selected thymectomy for early-stage TETs without myasthenia gravis. In contrast, the remaining board-certified surgeons of the JACS (10/30) selected partial thymectomy in such cases. Answers regarding adjuvant therapy and the postoperative follow-up period were in accordance with the clinical practice guidelines. Conclusion. This questionnaire revealed that one-third of board-certified surgeons of the JACS selected partial thymectomy for early-stage TETs, which is not recommended in the Japanese clinical practice guideline.