Thymus Gland Cancer Prognosis
With any medical diagnosis, it is helpful for the patient to know the prognosis. Researchers have compiled data in order to determine general prognosis projections for different varieties of cancer. Each case is unique with its own mitigating circumstances, so the attending doctor(s) can confirm an individual's prognosis.
Types of Thymus Cancer
- Thymoma is a cancerous tumor composed of cells similar in structure to healthy thymus cells.
- Thymic carcinomas are cancer cells that bear no resemblance to the structure of normal thymus cells. Thymic carcinomas grow more quickly than thymomas and they have the ability to metastasize to other tissues.
Factors Affecting Prognosis
- Variety of cancer (either thymoma or thymic carcinoma)
- Stage of the cancer cells
- Complete or partial surgical removal of the tumor
- Original diagnosis or recurrence of cancerous cell growth
- Overall health
Staging
During surgery the tumor will be staged. Staging is a scale used to describe the extent to which the cancer has progressed. Stage I tumors are non invasive and easy to remove, while stage IV tumors have metastasized to other organs; with varying degrees between the two extremes. Prognosis is inversely proportional to stage; as the stage number increases the prognosis outcome declines.
Survival Rates
The American Cancer Society has compiled data on thymoma survivors in order to create a general prognosis guide. This guide is based on a five-year survival rate. That means subjects lived for at least five years after they were diagnosed with cancer. There are some factors that affect the survival rate. For instance, individuals may die of other causes during that five year period. Also, treatment options and success change frequently in medical science.
Regardless of extenuating factors, the prognosis for thymus cancer is positive. According to the American Cancer Society, individuals with localized thymoma have an 88% five-year survival rate. Those with thymoma confined to a region of the body have a 74% survival rate and those with thymoma metastasized to distant organs of the body have a 41% survival rate.