In our study thymomas were found in 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1% to 1.8%) of examined goats and they represented the most common malignancy in this species. Thymomas are neoplasms derived from thymic epithelial cells that usually have mixed cortical and/or medullary differentiation (Ströbel et al. 2014).
How serious is a thymoma?
Most thymomas have the potential to behave like a cancer and spread beyond the thymus, but many appear to behave in a benign fashion and are noninvasive. Less commonly, it appears to have spread beyond the thymus. People sometimes refer to such an invasive thymoma as malignant thymoma.
What are the symptoms of having a thymoma?
Symptoms
- Shortness of breath.
- Cough, which may contain blood.
- Chest pain.
- Trouble swallowing.
- Loss of appetite.
- Weight loss.
Is there a cure for thymoma?
Surgery to remove the tumor is the most common treatment of thymoma. After the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left.
How is a thymoma removed?
The most common surgical incision through which to remove a thymoma is a median sternotomy. This is a vertical incision through the breast bone that provides excellent exposure of the anterior mediastinum.
Are thymomas rare?
Most tumors that begin in the thymus are thymoma, but overall, thymoma is uncommon. Less than 1 person out of 1.5 million people develops thymoma. This means about 400 people per year develop thymoma.
What percentage of thymomas are malignant?
Thymoma is the most common anterior mediastinal tumor in the adult (very rare in children). Thirty percent are invasive (malignant thymoma).
Do thymomas grow back?
Recurrent thymoma and thymic carcinoma is cancer that has recurred (come back) after it has been treated. The cancer may come back in the thymus or in other parts of the body. Thymic carcinomas commonly recur. Thymomas may recur after a long time.