摘要Background This study was designed to analyze the accuracy and reliability of several prognostic indicators for long-term survival of thymoma patients.Methods Data from 142 patients treated for thymoma at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 1954 to January 2001 were retrospectively analyzed.The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's proportional hazards model test were used for single and multi-variable analyses respectively.The Log-rank test was used to compare survival between groups.Results The sizes and extent of the tumors were classified as Ⅰ-Ⅳ according to the Masaoka clinical staging scale.Respective 5- and 10-year survival rates were:93.8% and 79.2% in stage Ⅰ, 79.3% and 55.2% in stage Ⅱ, 53.1% and 34.4% in stage Ⅲ, and no survivors in stage Ⅳ.Among 30 patients with associated myasthenia gravis, 19 had generalized myasthenia gravis and 11 had ocular myasthenia gravis; 5- and 10-year survival rates were 83.3% and 60.0%, respectively.The 5- and 10-year survival rates for 112 patients without myasthenia gravis were 53.6% and 42.0%,respectively.Eighty-four patients had radical resection and nine had palliative resection.Eighty-nine patients had radiotherapy and 55 patients had postoperative radiotherapy.Single or multi-variable analyses showed that the main prognostic indicators are Masaoka clinical staging, thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis, and the treatment method.Conclusions The most important indicators of long-term survival in thymoma are Masaoka clinical staging and the completeness of resection.The primary treatment method for thymoma should be wide tumor resection.Pre- and/or postoperative radio- and/or chemotherapy should be given according to individual treatment requirements.