[Results and prognostic factors in surgically treated thymoma. Apropos of a series of 194 cases].

The authors analyse a series of 194 thymomas (epithelial tumours of the thymus gland) which were operated over a period of about 25 years. The long term prognosis (70% 5 year survival and 60% 10 year survival) is examined in terms of the anatomo-surgical stage of the thymoma, the histological type of the tumour and the presence of associated auto-immune diseases. The authors recommend a more rigorous classification which takes into account both the anatomo-surgical and the histopathological findings so that the indications for post-operative mediastinal irradiation can be extended in a attempt to reduce the rate of distant recurrence of these tumours.