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Malignant thymoma is a slow-growing tumor of the thymus, an organ important for T-cell selection in the immune system. It can be treated with surgery or radiation therapy, but advanced stages can be difficult to treat. People with certain autoimmune diseases have a higher risk of developing thymomas.
Malignant thymoma is a tumor of the thymus, a tiny organ that plays an important role in the immune system. This type of cancer tends to develop on the outside of the organ rather than inside. In the early stages, thymoma can be treated effectively with surgery or radiation therapy. In advanced stages, treatment is difficult because the heart may be affected. This cancer is usually slow growing, however, and is often diagnosed early enough for treatment to be effective.
The thymus is located in the upper chest, just below the breastbone. One of the most important processes in the immune system is called T-cell selection and it occurs in the thymus. This process leads to the generation of T lymphocytes, which are able to protect the body from infections.
There are two types of cancer that can affect the thymus. One is called thymic cancer. This is generally a rapidly growing cancer that often spreads to other parts of the body and is very difficult to treat. In contrast, malignant thymoma is a slow-growing type of cancer that often doesn’t spread to other parts of the body. This type of cancer is much easier to treat than thymic cancer.
Thymoma tumors don’t always cause symptoms. Often, this lack of symptoms means the cancer is diagnosed during a routine exam or during a chest X-ray or other medical imaging scan done for unrelated reasons. When symptoms appear, they usually include chest pain and difficulty breathing or a recurring cough.
This type of cancer is unusual in that it is often diagnosed, staged, and treated as part of the same surgical procedure. The first part of the procedure is a biopsy, during which a small sample of cancer cells is removed and then tested for the presence of cancer. If thymoma or cancer of the thymus is diagnosed, the thymus is then removed. Other tissue such as nearby lymph nodes may also be removed, a procedure more likely when thymic cancer has been diagnosed. After surgery, it is common for a patient to undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy, in order to kill any remaining cancer cells in the body.
People with certain autoimmune diseases have a higher risk of developing thymomas. Autoimmune diseases are those that cause the immune system to attack its own tissues. Diseases that increase the risk of this type of cancer include myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, lupus erythematosus and Sjogren’s syndrome. Why these diseases increase the risk of thymomas isn’t known, but it’s clear that the immune system is a big part of the link.
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