Thymus is a part of our lymphatic system that carries all immunological activities during the early years of our life. Thymus consists of epithelial cells and lymphocytes. It is present at the anterior side of mediastinum (the hollow area between heart and lungs). A neoplasm or aberrant cellular growth in epithelial cells of thymus leads to Thymoma or Thymus cancer. A Thymoma could be categorized as either benign or mild and malignant or acute. Malignant Thymoma often transforms to become invasive and they evade to other locations in the body.

Thymoma is very closely related to Myasthenia Gravis (MG) i.e. a disease characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of voluntary muscles. Patients reporting MG who underwent thymus excision get a long term remission from muscle fatigue. The chances of Thymoma progress with age. It is likely to occur in both sexes.

Some common symptoms of Thymus cancer include:

1. Chest pain
2. Persistent cough
3. Difficult and short breath
4. Difficulty in swallowing
5. Hoarseness in voice
6. Swelling around the neck

One must immediately intimate their general health practitioner if any of these ailments persist for long time or recurs. Your regular doctor might refer you to an oncologist or cancer specialist after examining your symptoms. Oncologists could use following techniques to detect/diagnose the Thymus cancer:

1. X-Ray: An X-Ray photography of chest region could imprint the Thymoma on X-Ray film
2. Imaging: Imaging using Computer Tomography (CT) Scan, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging are more advance methods than X-Ray
3. Needle Biopsy: The cellular extract of Thymus could be drawn out by piercing a needle, this extract is then handed over to a Pathologist who further examines the cells under microscopic purview
4. Mediastinoscopy : The doctors make a 2 inches long incision in front of the chest and then passes a thin tube with a camera at one end to study the inside of thymus

Chemotherapy is the use of anti cancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy is targeted throughout the body. It is given by a medical oncologist to a day patient. The administration of drug varies with stage and invasiveness of cancer as well as the age and health of the patient. Calculating various parameters your doctor may device a chemotherapy regimen for your treatment. The chemotherapy drugs could be given in cycles over three to four months.

Following are the most common chemotherapy drugs used to treat Thymoma:

1. Carboplatin
2. Cisplatin
3. Cyclophosphamide
4. Doxorubicin or Adriamycin
5. Etoposide
6. Ifosfamide
7. Paclitaxel

The chemotherapy could be given for two reasons viz.

1. To shrink the size of tumor before surgery if the Thymoma is more aggressive
2. To cure metastatic or invasive Thymoma which has traveled to a distinct part from the area of infliction

Chemotherapy drugs fail to differentiate between a cancer cells and other normal cells in the body and imprecisely go on disrupting both the cells equally. In this process chemotherapy impairs some normally functioning cells resulting in some ailments or side effects like:

1. Loss of hair
2. Anemia
3. A dull and pale appearance
4. Weakness and fatigue
5. Lowered immunity to infections
6. Bruising and bleeding
7. Loose appetite and diarrhea
8. Skin rashes