Collaboration Brief Report: Androgen Receptor Expression Is Associated With Male Predominance in Thymic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Many congratulations to Chris Nabel on publishing a brief report on the observed male predominance in thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) correlated with androgen receptor (AR) expression.

Key Findings

This study analyzed 17 thymic NEN cases and found that AR expression was present in 9 cases, all from male patients . No female patients showed AR positivity, with AR expression found in 75% of males (9 of 12).

AR expression was specific to thymic NENs – it was rarely found in thymomas, thymic carcinomas, or neuroendocrine neoplasms from other body sites. The study also revealed that thymic NENs form a distinct molecular cluster characterized by neuroendocrine epithelial gene enrichment.

Representative hematoxylin-eosin and AR staining of normal thymus, AR-positive atypical carcinoid and LCNEC cases, and AR-negative atypical carcinoid (C) and Box and whisker plot of H-score distribution of NETs stratified by AR expression and biological sex (D-G). From Nabel et al. 2026

Clinical Implications

The findings suggest potential therapeutic opportunities using androgen deprivation therapy for AR-positive thymic NENs, similar to treatments used in prostate cancer. All three patients with germline MEN1 mutations were males with AR-positive tumors.

Continue your reading here:

Brief Report: Androgen Receptor Expression Is Associated With Male Predominance in Thymic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Authors: Christopher S. Nabel, Chad B. Sussman, Charles A. Whittaker, Vincent L. Butty, Jennifer L. Peterson, Haley K. Martin, Abner Louissaint, Eva Bru-Tari, Simona Chera, Azra H. Ligon, Beow Y. Yeap, Pedro L. Herrera, Yin P. Hung

JTO Clinical and Research Reports, 2026
Volume 7, Issue 4, 100973

DOI information:10.1038/s41592-024-02506-0