Surgeons from the Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, known as “Hip Woh” in Cantonese, and the public Conde S. Januário Hospital Centre, known as “San Teng” in Cantonese, have successfully performed a high-risk joint cardiac-thoracic operation to treat a local patient with locally advanced thymic squamous cell carcinoma,* Hip Woh announced in a statement yesterday.
According to DeepSeek, thymic squamous cell carcinoma is a very rare type of cancer.
According to the statement, the patient, a 40-year-old local woman, had sought medical attention after experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath. Subsequent chest CT scans revealed a massive tumour approximately 15 cm in diameter in her anterior mediastinum**, compressing major cardiovascular vessels and her right lung.
A needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of thymic squamous cell carcinoma. Previously, the patient was assessed by multiple medical institutions as unsuitable for “radical” surgery. Although she subsequently underwent cryotherapy (extreme cold therapy) and arterial infusion chemotherapy*** – which initially reduced the tumour size – subsequent regression stalled.
The statement noted that, due to the tumour’s close proximity to major heart vessels and the right pulmonary vasculature, performing surgery presented extreme risks and complex technical challenges.
To maximise patient safety, cardiac-thoracic surgery teams from both hospitals conducted multidisciplinary discussions encompassing tumour evaluation, imaging analysis, chemoradiation protocols, intraoperative anaesthesia, postoperative intensive care, perioperative nutritional support (before, during and after the operation), early rehabilitation, and nursing care to formulate an individualised surgical and emergency contingency plan.
Backed by the expert team at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the joint team successfully performed an open-chest radical thymic carcinoma resection (surgical removal). The three-hour procedure resulted in intraoperative blood loss of just 100 millilitres. Postoperative pathology confirmed an R0 radical resection, indicating the entire tumour was removed with clear margins free of cancer cells. R0 stands for “no residual tumour”.
The patient is reported to be recovering well following the procedure.
According to the statement, since its establishment, the Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Department at Macao Union Medical Center has formulated individualised treatment plans tailored to each patient’s condition. Utilising advanced surgical modalities - including the Da Vinci surgical robot, fluorescence-guided thoracoscopy, and traditional open-chest procedures - the surgical team has successfully treated dozens of local patients with complex and critical thoracic conditions.
In the future, the department will continue to deepen cooperation between Hip Woh (“Harmony”) and San Teng (“Peak”), leveraging a multidisciplinary diagnostic and treatment model to share high-quality medical resources and provide stronger healthcare safeguards for local residents.
*Advanced thymic squamous cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive malignant tumour that originates from the epithelial cells of the thymus (located behind the breastbone) and has grown large enough to invade surrounding vital structures like the heart, major blood vessels, and lungs without spreading to distant organs.
Common symptoms include chest tightness, persistent shortness of breath, a chronic cough, and chest pain caused by the tumour’s mass pressing against the heart and airways. – Gemini
**Anterior mediastinum is the anatomical space located in the middle of the chest cavity, specifically bounded by the breastbone (sternum) in front and the front of the heart and major blood vessels behind. It is the primary site where thymic tumours—such as thymic squamous cell carcinomas - develop, as the thymus gland sits right in this compartment. – Gemini
*** Arterial infusion chemotherapy is a targeted treatment where chemotherapy medicine is injected directly into the specific blood vessels feeding a tumour, delivering a strong dose straight to the cancer while sparing the rest of the body from widespread side effects. – Gemini
A chief physician of the Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Department at Macao Union Medical Center (“Hip Woh”) leads the radical open-chest thymic carcinoma resection as lead surgeon, assisted by a consultant physician in cardiac surgery from the same medical centre and an attending physician in cardiac and thoracic surgery from the public Conde S. Januário Hospital Centre (“San Teng”) as they perform the operation. – Photo: Macao Union Medical Center
