Thymoma is a rare type of cancer originating from the thymus gland. The thymus gland is an organ located in the middle of the rib cage and responsible for the production of T lymphocytes, which are an important part of the immune system. Thymoma is a slow-growing type of cancer and is usually discovered incidentally.
What are the symptoms of thymoma?
Thymoma often does not cause symptoms. However, when it starts to grow, it can cause the following symptoms:
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Hoarseness
- difficulty swallowing
- Shortness of breath
- Anorexia
- skin rash
- Anemia
- Swelling in the neck, chest and face (Superior Vena Cava Syndrome – SVCS)
- Headache and dizziness
- Myasthenia gravis
- red cell aplasia
- Hypogammaglobulinemia
- Lupus
- polymyositis
- Ulcerative colitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sjogren's Syndrome
- Sarcoidosis
- Scleroderma
How is thymoma diagnosed?
The diagnosis of thymoma is usually made incidentally during a screening or check-up performed for another purpose. The following methods are used for diagnosis:
- Computed Tomography (CT)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- PET CT
- Biopsy
How is thymoma treated?
Treatment of thymoma is determined according to the stage of the disease. It has four phases:
- Stage 1: The tumor is confined within a capsule.
- Stage 2: The tumor invades the capsule.
- Stage 3: The tumor extends beyond the capsule and into the trachea, lungs, vessels, and pericardium.
- Stage 4: The tumor spreads to distant organs.
Treatment options include:
- Surgical: In stage 1 and 2 thymomas, the tumor is removed surgically.
- Chemotherapy: In stage 3 and 4 thymomas, chemotherapy is applied to shrink the tumor.
- Radiotherapy: In stage 3 and 4 thymomas, radiotherapy is applied to shrink or control the tumor.
Early diagnosis is important in thymoma. In thymomas detected at an early stage, the chance of full recovery with surgical treatment is high.
For more information about thymoma:
- Thoracic Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Özkan Demirhan's website: https://www.drozkandemirhan.com/en/homepage/
- Turkish Medical Association Cancer Association: https://turkkanserdernegi.org/
