Primary mediastinal tumors are relatively rare. The relative incidence of these tumors indicates that neurogenic tumors are the most common tumor seen constituting 21 % of all cases, thymomas 19%, lymphomas 12.5%, germ cell tumors 10%, primary carcinomas 4.6%, mesenchymal tumors 6%, endocrine tumors 6%, cysts 18%. In adults, the majority of thyroid tumors, thymomas, mediastinal germ cell tumors and teratomas are located in the superior and anterior mediastinum. Of the neurogenic tumors 18% are located in the posterior mediastinum, and 50% of mediastinal lymphomas are in the middle mediastinum. In adults, the incidence of anterosuperior, middle and posterior mediastinal tumors is about 54%, 20% and 26% respectively. However, in children the posterior mediastinum contains 63% of the lesions, the anterior mediastinum contains 26% and the middle mediastinum II %. The majority of the tumors are benign in character with a ratio of benign to malig nant of about 60 to 40. The relative incidence of malignant mediastinal tumors in children is about 50%. Even though mediastinal tumors are not common, they represent a unique problem with regards to treatment whether by surgery, radiation therapy and/or systemically administered chemotherapy. The volume by WOOD and THOMAS deals with each of these issues in detail and presents a logical and important approach to the management of mediastinal tumors.

1 Diagnosis of Mediastinal Masses

2 Thymoma: Surgical Management
3 Thymoma: Radiation and Chemotherapy
4 Mediastinal Lymphomas
5 Benign Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumors
6 Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumors of the Mediastinum
7 Primary Mediastinal Seminoma
8 Endocrine Tumors of the Mediastinum
9 Mediastinal Paragangliomas
10 Neurogenic Tumors of the Mediastinum
11 Cardiac Neoplasms
12 Tracheal Tumors
13 Mesenchymal Tumors of the Mediastinum
14 Undifferentiated Carcinoma of the Mediastinum
15 The Role of Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Mediastinal Tumors
List of Contributors.