Thymoma

Thymomas are a type of thymic cancer that causes tumours to develop in your thymus gland (a gland between your lungs and behind your breastbone). It’s generally a slow-growing cancer with a low risk of metastasising (spreading to other body parts). However, it can become advanced and affect nearby organs like your lungs and heart.

Investigations for other health conditions usually pick up thymomas, which doctors frequently associate with autoimmune conditions. However, their symptoms can lead you to seek medical advice and, as a result, a thymoma diagnosis.

Treating thymomas often includes surgery, radiation or chemotherapy or a combination of the three when it’s advanced. Early detection is vital for increasing thymoma treatment’s effectiveness.

Generally, thymomas don’t cause symptoms in their early stages.

However, as they grow, they can cause symptoms like:

• Chest pain, pressure or discomfort – from the thymoma pressing on other parts of your chest
• A persistent, chronic cough or shortness of breath – due to compression of the lungs and airways
• Fatigue and muscle weakness – sometimes linked to autoimmune conditions commonly associated with thymomas
• Problems swallowing (dysphagia) – caused by compression in your airways and oesophagus

We take a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing thymoma, ensuring you receive an accurate diagnosis and a personalised treatment plan.

First, we’ll assess your symptoms and discuss your medical history.

Afterwards, we may recommend diagnostic tests like a chest X-ray and a computerised tomography (CT) scan. These tests can identify any abnormal masses in your chest. A positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can help us determine the extent of the tumour and whether it’s affecting other structures and organs nearby.

We may take a biopsy of the tumour to confirm the diagnosis and differentiate it from other cancer types.

We take biopsies using methods like:

• CT-guided biopsy
• Mediastinoscopy
• Thoracoscopy

Sometimes, we perform a blood test to check for autoimmune conditions that may require additional care and support.

With our accurate diagnostics, you can receive a personalised treatment plan led by our multidisciplinary team.

We don’t know the exact cause of thymoma. However, experts believe the reason is the abnormal growth of thymic cells in your thymus gland.

It’s also common to have an autoimmune condition alongside thymoma, such as myasthenia gravis (MG), a condition that causes widespread muscle weakness.

Genetic mutations in your DNA may play a role, too. The mutations may lead to changes in cell growth and cause abnormalities.

There are four stages of thymoma:

• Stage 1 (localised) – a tiny tumour that’s only in your thymus gland
• Stage 2 (locally advanced) – large tumours that have grown beyond their original location but haven’t spread to other body parts
• Stage 3 (invasive) – an advanced thymoma that has spread to nearby lymph nodes, tissue and organs but not other body parts
• Stage 4 (metastatic) – the cancer has spread to further parts of your body

Treating thymoma depends on the tumour’s stage.

Treating stage 1 thymomas involves surgical removal, which can sometimes treat the disease. You’ll require no additional treatment if we can remove the tumour entirely. In some cases, minimally invasive or robot-assisted techniques can be used to support your recovery and minimise complications.

We can still treat stage 2 thymoma with surgical removal, but we may recommend radiation therapy if the tumour has affected nearby structures to minimise the risk of recurrence.

Treating stage 3 thymoma can involve surgery to remove the tumour and affected areas (if possible). Combined chemotherapy treatments may treat any remaining cancer in the body and prevent it from invading other parts.

Stage 4 thymoma is the most severe and widespread type. Treatment can involve:

• Chemotherapy to shrink tumours and destroy cancer cells
• Targeted therapies or immunotherapy to eradicate as many cancer cells as possible without harming healthy cells
• Repeated surgery, radiation or systemic treatment to stop recurrence
• Palliative radiation therapy to relieve the symptoms and improve your quality of life

A comprehensive team of specialists guides our treatment plans to enhance outcomes and provide bespoke thymoma care.