Mutations in the EGFR pathway and TP53 in thymic carcinoma may be frequent, and the EGFR pathway mutations may be associated with a poor prognosis in thymic squamous cell carcinoma patients.
TP53 was the most frequently mutated gene in TETs (n = 13; 17%), especially in TCs (26%), and was associated with a poorer overall survival (p < 0.0001).
There were no p53 gene mutations in 15 invasive thymoma, although one of four (25%) thymic carcinomas showed two point mutations. p53 gene alterations seem to be associated with malignant activity of tumor cells, and therefore detection of p53 gene mutations is useful as a diagnostic factor.