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Thymus Cancer
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Immune System

Thymus Cancer

Thymus cancer is a rare condition affecting the small organ located in the upper chest, which plays a vital role in immune system development during childhood.

Overview

The thymus is a small organ in your upper chest, under your breastbone. Before birth and during childhood, the thymus helps the body make a type of white blood cell. These cells help protect you from infections.

Causes & Risk Factors

Cancer of the thymus is rare. You are more likely to get it if you have other diseases such as myasthenia gravis, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms

Sometimes there are no symptoms. Other times, thymus cancer can cause:

  • A cough that doesn't go away
  • Chest pain
  • Trouble breathing

Diagnosis & Treatment

Doctors use a physical exam, imaging tests, and a biopsy to diagnose thymus cancer. The most common treatment is surgery to remove the tumor. Other options include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

Frequently Asked Questions

persistent cough that doesn’t improve with usual treatments, unexplained chest pain, shortness of breath, or a new, unexplained weight loss can raise suspicion for a thymus mass. If these symptoms appear, imaging such as a chest CT scan is often ordered to look for a tumor in the upper chest area.
Patients with myasthenia gravis have a higher risk of developing thymic tumors. In many cases, the thymus is removed to treat both the cancer and the autoimmune condition, which can improve muscle weakness and reduce the need for immunosuppressive drugs.
Staging is based on tumor size, local invasion, lymph node involvement, and distant spread (TNM system). Early-stage tumors may be cured with surgery alone, while advanced stages often require a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy to improve survival.
Recovery time varies but most patients resume normal activities within 4–6 weeks. Follow‑up imaging (usually a chest CT) is typically done 3–6 months after surgery, then annually for several years to monitor for recurrence.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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