Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in thymus: a SEER analysis

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The present study explores an extremely rare disease, thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, for its characteristics and prognostic factors by analyzing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Methods

From 2000 to 2018, cases with a diagnosed thymic MALT lymphoma were extracted. Clinical characteristics, treatments, and survival patterns of these cases were analyzed.

Results

Thymic MALT lymphoma (n = 26) accounted for 0.09% of all MALT lymphomas. With a sex ratio of 0.53 (male/female), 68% white population was affected. Most cases were diagnosed with Ann Arbor stage I (50%), yet advanced-stage did not show worse prognosis (p = 0.236). Different treatment protocols did not influence the overall prognosis (p > 0.99). The 5- and 10- year overall survival rates were 83.1% and 78.2%, respectively. Older than 70 years may be an independent risk factor for overall survival (HR = 7.166 [95% CI 1.173–43.756], p = 0.033).

Conclusion

Thymic MALT lymphoma is a highly rare disease with a favorable prognosis. Ann Arbor staging might not be appropriate to classify severity of this disease or its treatment. Older people may have worse survival. A standardized treatment mode needs to be established, and surgery could remain as the mainstay.

KEYWORDS:

• Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma
• prognosis
• SEER database
• surgery
• thymus neoplasms

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Zhibo Zheng for careful instruction of the utilization of SEER database and Ji Li for giving thoughtful insights from pathologic aspects on the studied disease. We appreciate all the reviewers who participated in this review and MJEditor (www.mjeditor.com) for its linguistic assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

Meng-Xin Zhou, Ye-Ye Chen and Shan-Qing Li were involved in the conception and design. Meng-Xin Zhou, Ye-Ye Chen, Lei Liu, Gui-Ge Wang, Jia-Qi Zhang and Ke Zhao contributed to analysis and interpretation of the data. Meng-Xin Zhou drafted the paper and Ye-Ye Chen revised it critically. Shan-Qing Li also revised the manuscript and approved the final version to be published. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Additional information

Funding

The authors have no funding to report.