Impact of autoimmune disease co-occurring with thymic epithelial tumors and Good’s syndrome

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are known to commonly co-occur with immunological disorders. When patients with these tumors show both autoimmunity and immunodeficiency, life-threatening problems can occur, severely impacting disease management. Margaret Ottaviano, MD, Ospedale del Mare, Naples, Italy, discusses a study of immune cell differences in patients with TETs and Good’s syndrome, a rare immunodeficiency disorder, with or without co-existing autoimmune disease. The results showed that immune populations were significantly different between the two groups. Patients with associated autoimmune disease had increased leukocytes, reduced Treg percentage and decreased CD19+ B-cells. These data show the importance of immunological assessment in these patients and could aid treatment decisions. This interview took place during the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) virtual meeting 2021.