Efficacy and safety of high-dose prednisone for patients with advanced thymoma: a retrospective study

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Background: Chemotherapeutic treatments for advanced thymoma have limited efficacy and a high rate of adverse events, while it has been reported that glucocorticoids (GCs) may be effective in this context. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the efficacy and safety of high-dose prednisone for patients with advanced thymoma in a single center in order to determine the optimal application scenarios for GCs in the treatment of these patients. Methods: edition) stage III-IV thymomas that received treatment with high-dose prednisone (0.5-1 mg/kg/day) in Shanghai Chest Hospital were included. Clinical characteristics, response to prednisone, type of subsequent treatment, and adverse events were analyzed. Results: 37.5%, P=0.19). Of the 26 patients, 16 (61.5%) received subsequent surgery and complete resection of the visible tumors, 5 (19.2%) received radiotherapy, 2 received long-term treatment of prednisone, and 3 were scheduled for follow-up. Three cases of pneumonia and one case of hypertension and diabetes were recorded during the treatment. After prednisone treatment, patients with PR or CR had significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) than did those with SD or PD (P=0.045). Conclusions: High-dose prednisone is effective and safe for the treatment of advanced thymoma. It might be particularly effective in induction therapy before surgery or in creating the opportunity for radiotherapy. The long-term administration of prednisone should be selected with careful consideration of its potential side effects.