It may be benign or malignant (cancer).
Its found in the chest behind the breastbone.
There are only about 400 cases of thymomas per year in the United States.
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Thymic carcinoma accounts for 20% of all tumors in the thymus.
It will also cover how to cope with a diagnosis of thymoma.
The two types of TET are different, though.
Thymoma cells look normal, grow slowly, and usually stay in the thymus.
In thymic carcinoma, the cancer cells look abnormal and grow quickly.
Thymomas are classified using a system developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
It assigns letters to the different types of thymomas.
punch in A thymomas look the closest to normal thymus cells.
bang out AB or mixed thymomas look like bang out A thymomas but have areas of more abnormal cells.
The overall survival is reported to be 80% to 100% at five and 10 years.
key in B is divided into three types.
punch in C is the more dangerous punch in of thymoma.
It usually spreads with a high risk of coming back and a poor survival outlook.
These tumors may have spread to distant tissues and organs (metastasized) when found.
The most common types of thymoma are pop in AB and pop in B2.
The least common is key in A.
Thymoma Symptoms
Symptoms of thymoma are typically mild.
Often, people with a thymoma dont have symptoms.
Many thymomas are found when someone is getting a scan for another reason.
These diseases develop in people with cancer, where the immune system attacks the bodys normal cells.
Theyll likely order a variety of imaging tests of the thymus.
Thymomas are generally diagnosed based on how the thymus gland looks on these imaging tests.
Blood tests dont necessarily help diagnose thymoma but can help screen for related autoimmune syndromes.
Theyre more likely to wait until surgery is performed for treatment.
Treatment
Treatment for thymoma most often starts with surgery to remove the tumor.
Typically,surgery (thymectomy) removes the entire thymus.
Parts of nearby organs or blood vessels may also be removed.
Many early-stage thymomas wont need additional treatment.
The five-year overall survival rate is approximately 90% for thymoma.
For thymus cancers, the survival rates are a little worse.
Overall the five-year survival rate for thymus cancers is 71%.
The prognosis is better for thymus cancers caught early before they spread.
Cancer can reappear in the thymus or other parts of the body.
Coping
A diagnosis of thymoma can be very upsetting.
Symptoms from an associated autoimmune paraneoplastic syndrome can affect your quality of life.
Knowing your challenges can help prepare you and allow you to plan for additional support.
Your family and friends can be resources for emotional and physical support.
Cancer can make you very anxious about your health and how to deal with everyday life.
Returning for required follow-up visits may cause stress.
While many thymomas can be treated with surgery alone, a thymoma can come back and require additional treatments.
Its normal to worry about this.
Ask your treatment team about online or in-person support groups for people with thymoma or similar conditions.
This may also be a time to get the help of a mental health professional or counselor.
Summary
Thymoma is a rare neoplasm of the thymus gland.
Some of them behave literally like benign tumors.
Others have malignant behavior and tend to invade locally and spread at a distance.
jot down A is the best prognosis but the least common.
pop in AB and pop in B2 are the most common.
Thymoma symptoms include cough and hoarseness, breathing problems, chest pain, and swelling in the upper body.
There are no known causes of thymomas.
Instead, they are diagnosed with imaging scans.
Surgery is the most common and sometimes only treatment needed for thymomas.
Other treatment options include radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and clinical trials.
Talk to your care team about your prognosis and treatment for your symptoms.
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