Also known as Thymic Cancer
ABOUT THE DISEASE
The thymus is a small organ located beneath the breastbone and is part of the lymphatic system, that assists in fighting various kinds of viruses and bacteria. The thymus is most active during childhood, reaches its greatest size at puberty, and gradually shrinks in adulthood.
There are different kinds of tumors of the thymus. Thymoma and thymic carcinoma are diseases in which malignant (cancer) cells form on the outside surface of the thymus. The tumor cells in a thymoma look similar to the normal cells of the thymus, grow slowly, and rarely spread beyond the thymus. On the other hand, the tumor cells in a thymic carcinoma look very different from the normal cells of the thymus, grow more quickly, and have usually spread to other parts of the body when the cancer is found. Thymic carcinoma is more difficult to treat than thymoma.
SYMPTOMS
Many a times there are no symptoms and it is accidentally discovered during a chest x-ray, in other cases some of the following symptoms might be observed:
- • A cough that doesn`t go away.
- • Chest pain.
- • Trouble breathing.
- • Muscle weakness
Some thymic carcinoids produce too much ACTH, a substance that causes the adrenal glands to produce an excess amount of cortisol and other hormones. This can lead to symptoms such as:
- • weight gain
- • muscle weakness
- • diabetes
- • increased body and facial hair
- • thin or darkened skin (Cushing`s syndrome)
CAUSES
No specific causes have been identified however patients affected with any of the following diseases have a risk of getting thymoma: myasthenia gravis, polymyositis, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, Sjögren syndrome, and hypogammaglobulinemia.
DIAGNOSIS
- Physical examination
- Chest X-Ray or a CT Scan
- Biopsy of the tumor.
TREATMENT METHODS
The treatment plan depends upon the following:
Stage of the cancer, type of cancer cell, patient`s general health, whether it can be removed by surgery, etc. and comprises of Surgery (Thymectomy), Hormone therapy, Radio therapy and / or Chemotherapy.
You may also like to learn about:
Myasthenia gravis
Lymphadenitis
Thyroid cancer
Carcinoid tumor
Goitre
Sjogrens syndrome