Four everyday health issues that could be a sign of thymus cancer

Some common health complaints are easy to dismiss or blame on other factors, but failing to consult your doctor about these issues may result in a missed cancer diagnosis. Cancer of the thymus gland can affect your airways, causing wheezing and dizziness.

Early detection of cancer is the most important way to improve survival rates and prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the body. To do so, you must first understand which symptoms are cause for concern and whether you should report any concerns to your doctor.

Shortness of breath and wheezing have become more common during the Covid pandemic, but when combined with other health issues, they could be an early warning sign of a rare cancer of the thymus – a gland located in your chest that produces “T cells” that help your body fight infections.

Thymus gland cancers are classified into two types. Thymoma, which develops slowly in the organ’s surface cells, or thymic carcinoma, which spreads to other organs via tissue and lymph nodes, a process known as metastasis.

While the causes of this cancer are unknown, Macmillan reports that thymoma is most common in people aged 40 to 60, whereas thymic carcinoma can affect people of any age. Thymic carcinoma accounts for roughly one in every five thymus cancer diagnoses.

Because the thymus gland’s primary function is to produce disease-fighting white blood cells, many of its symptoms appear after the cancer has already begun to develop. According to Cancer Research UK, “they are discovered by chance when you are having tests for something else.” When they do cause symptoms, it is usually because the cancer has spread to nearby areas of the chest.”

Though some thymus cancer cases are asymptomatic, the following are the most common symptoms: