Thymoma & Thymic Carcinoma Symptoms

Most patients with thymus cancer have no symptoms in the early stages. Most cases are found during an imaging exam for some other condition.

Symptoms that do appear are often related to myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that can be caused by this cancer.

Other symptoms are caused by the tumor pressing on nearby organs and structures, such as blood vessels.

Early symptoms

When symptoms do appear in the early stages, they include:

• A persistent cough, sometimes accompanied by bloody phlegm or mucus
• Constant chest pain or pressure
• Muscle weakness
• Anemia
• Frequent infections

Late symptoms

More advanced cases of thymic cancer may cause the following symptoms:

• Swelling of the face, neck, upper body or arms
• Shortness of breath
• Trouble swallowing
• A hoarse voice
• Unexplained weight loss

Conditions with similar symptoms

These symptoms usually do not mean you have thymoma or thymic carcinoma. Other conditions that share some of these symptoms include:

• Benign (non-cancerous) tumors of the thymus
• Lung cancer
• Other diseases that can develop in the middle of the chest, including germ cell tumors lymphoma and thyroid goiters/ectopic thyroid.

What does thymus cancer feel like?

Thymus cancer usually has no symptoms, so patients typically don’t feel sick. When symptoms do appear, patients often feel fatigued and weak or a constant pressure in their chest.

When to see a doctor

Patients with these symptoms should schedule an appointment with their primary doctor. Though these symptoms are probably not caused by thymoma or thymic carcinoma, they can be due to other, serious health conditions.

Thymoma screening

There are no screening guidelines for thymoma or thymic carcinoma. Thymoma can cause myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease. Patients diagnosed with myasthenia gravis should be tested for thymoma.