Management of anterior mediastinal tumors.

The most common neoplasms of the anterior mediastinum are thymomas, lymphomas, and germ cell tumors. Surgical exploration was the routine approach to the diagnosis and management of these tumors. This is no longer true. The appropriate initial treatment of these neoplasms varies from surgical resection to radiation therapy to systemic chemotherapy. Except for the small well-encapsulated anterior mediastinal mass, it is imperative that a definitive tissue diagnosis be obtained before initiating treatment. An overview of these tumors and the specific approaches to their treatment are detailed.