Timeliness of care and outcomes in thymic epithelial tumors: A single-center real-world cohort in Colombia (2015–2025).

Abstract

e20175 Background: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare malignancies, and real-world evidence from Latin America remains limited. We aimed to benchmark diagnostic and treatment intervals using United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) waiting-time targets as operational analogs and to describe survival outcomes. Methods: Adult patients with pathologically confirmed TET diagnosed between 2015 and 2025 were included. Care intervals from first suspicious imaging to pathologic confirmation, treatment initiation, and surgery were evaluated using NHS-derived benchmarks (≤60 days), with an exploratory confirmation-to-systemic therapy target of ≤30 days. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were estimated using Kaplan–Meier methods and stratified by histologic subtype. Results: The study population comprised 35 patients and was predominantly female (74.3%), with a median age of 58.4 years. Thymoma accounted for 80.0% of cases, while 11.4% had thymic carcinoma. 77.1% of patients were classified as Masaoka–Koga stages I–II. Surgical resection was performed in 31 patients (88.6%), achieving R0 margins in 93.5%. Thirty-day postoperative complications occurred in 9.7%, and there was no 30-day mortality. Median imaging-to-confirmation, imaging-to-treatment, and imaging-to-surgery intervals were 38 (IQR 14.5–97.5), 50 (IQR 15.5–89.5), and 38 (IQR 15–74) days, respectively. Median confirmation-to-systemic therapy time was 8 days (IQR 0–11). Overall survival was favorable, with a 5-year OS rate of 66%. Event-free survival declined over time, and differed significantly by histologic subtype (log-rank p < 0.001), with durable disease control in thymoma (1-, 3-, and 5-year EFS: 100%, 92%, and 74%). Conclusions: In this real-world cohort of patients with TET, care delivery met international benchmarks, with high complete resection rates, low perioperative morbidity, and no 30-day mortality. Survival outcomes were consistent with established histologic prognostic differences. These findings provide valuable real-world survival data for rare thoracic malignancies in Latin America and address a critical gap in regional evidence. Baseline characteristics, diagnostic features, and treatment patterns of patients with thymic epithelial tumors. Baseline characteristics, n=35 Age, median (IQR) 58.4 (54.67-68.29) Female, n (%) 26 (74.3%) Diagnosis Thymoma 28 (80.0%) Thymic carcinoma 4 (11.4%) Masaoka-Koga stage I–II 27 (77.1%) Care timeliness  Imaging-to-treatment, days, median (IQR) 50 (15.5–89.5) Imaging-to-surgery, days, median (IQR) 38 (15–74)