Reviewed by:
Melisa Darby, cancer nurse, RN,BN, Grad. Cert. Cancer Nursing
Thymus cancer, also known as thymoma, is cancer that begins in the thymus. The thymus is a small organ in the top of the chest. It produces cells that are important for protecting the body from invaders like fungus and bacteria.
Thymus cancer is very rare, affecting fewer than 20 people in Victoria each year.
It is not known what causes thymus cancer. In some families, it affects several generations, suggesting that there is an inherited gene change that can increase the risk of this cancer.
Often there are no symptoms at first. Sometimes a person develops an autoimmune disorder (where the immune system destroys or attacks the body's own tissue), such as a condition that causes serious muscle weakness, and that leads to a diagnosis of thymus. A tumour may press on the windpipe, causing shortness of breath, or pressure on veins can cause the face to swell.
See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. They may be due to another cause, but it is best to have a doctor check them.
