Spatiotemporal distribution of mediastinal neoplasms: A comprehensive multi-center study

Yu Jiang; Yuechun Lin; Chao Yang; Ping He; Zhichao Liu; Haixuan Wang; Ran Zhong; Linchong Huang; Zhigang Li; Fuhao Xu; Xu Lin; Jun Liu; Xin Xu; Shuben Li; Fei Cui; Wei Wang; Wenhua Liang; Lei Zhao; Jian Hu; Bin Li; Donglai Chen; Wenfang Tang; Chun Chen; Junke Fu; Xuefeng Leng; Dazhi Pang; Jianxing He; Hengrui Liang

doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2024.107558

Spatiotemporal distribution of mediastinal neoplasms: A comprehensive multi-center study

Lung Cancer. 2024 Mar 30:191:107558. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2024.107558. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yu Jiang¹, Yuechun Lin¹, Chao Yang¹, Ping He², Zhichao Liu³, Haixuan Wang¹, Ran Zhong¹, Linchong Huang¹, Zhigang Li³, Fuhao Xu¹, Xu Lin⁴, Jun Liu¹, Xin Xu¹, Shuben Li¹, Fei Cui¹, Wei Wang¹, Wenhua Liang¹, Lei Zhao⁵, Jian Hu⁴, Bin Li⁶, Donglai Chen⁷, Wenfang Tang⁸, Chun Chen⁹, Junke Fu¹⁰, Xuefeng Leng¹¹, Dazhi Pang¹², Jianxing He¹³, Hengrui Liang¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, Guangzhou 510120, China.
² Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
³ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
⁴ Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China.
⁵ Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511495, China.
⁶ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou University Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou 730030, China.
⁷ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
⁸ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan 528403, China.
⁹ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350000, China.
¹⁰ Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
¹¹ Division of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China.
¹² Department of Thoracic Surgery, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518004, China.
¹³ Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, Guangzhou 510120, China. Electronic address: drjianxing.he@gmail.com.
¹⁴ Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, Guangzhou 510120, China. Electronic address: hengrui_liang@163.com.

PMID: 38569278
DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2024.107558

Abstract

Objectives: Mediastinal neoplasms are typical but uncommon thoracic diseases with increasing incidence and unfavorable prognoses. A comprehensive understanding of their spatiotemporal distribution is essential for accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. However, previous studies are limited in scale and data coverage. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the distribution of mediastinal lesions, offering valuable insights into this disease.

Materials and methods: This multi-center, hospital-based observational study included 20 nationwide institutions. A retrospective search of electronic medical records from January 1st, 2009, to December 31st, 2020, was conducted, collecting sociodemographic data, computed tomography images, and pathologic diagnoses. Analysis focused on age, sex, time, location, and geographical region. Comparative assessments were made with global data from a multi-center database.

Results: Among 7,765 cases, thymomas (30.7%), benign mediastinal cysts (23.4%), and neurogenic tumors (10.0%) were predominant. Distribution varied across mediastinal compartments, with thymomas (39.6%), benign cysts (28.1%), and neurogenic tumors (51.9%) most prevalent in the prevascular, visceral, and paravertebral mediastinum, respectively. Age-specific variations were notable, with germ cell tumors prominent in patients under 18 and aged 18-29, while thymomas were more common in patients over 30. The composition of mediastinal lesions across different regions of China remained relatively consistent, but it differs from that of the global population.

Conclusion: This study revealed significant heterogeneity in the spatiotemporal distribution of mediastinal neoplasms. These findings provide useful demographic data when considering the differential diagnosis of mediastinal lesions, and would be beneficial for tailoring disease prevention and control strategies.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Mediastinal neoplasms; Spatiotemporal distribution; Thymomas.