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Thymoma Cancer

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Subject: thymoma cancer
Date: 02/27/2007
Hello everyone I am 20 years old and went to the emergency room with chest pains and I thought it had to do with my lungs because I have had blood clots in my lungs and for some reason God was watching over me and kept me here and I thought I wouldn't have to go through anything anymore for awhile. Well 7 months later I had these chest pains and I had a ct done and they sent me home with pain reliever then 3 weeks later I received a certified letter to see my doctor immediatly. When I saw him he never mentioned a word about cancer or anything luckily my mother was with me and had him make a copy of the ER's notes. When we got home to look at it is said the considerations were thymoma, lymphoma, or teratoma. Because I have an enlarged thymus and a nodule in my lung. So I saw a specialist in Oct and then I received a second opinion in Dec. both doctors want to wait before they do a biopsy. Even though the Petscan showed activity in my thymus. I am just looking for advice because I am young and I am a fighter and I figure if I have this condition I would like for it not to get worse and just to remove it am I thinking right or are the doctors right for waiting? I am just confused and scared and don't have really anybody to talk to. Everyone just says well if the doctors aren't worried there is no worries. Well they are not the ones with the chest pain and the chance that they have this. Also how many times is there activity in an enlarged thymus and it not be cancerous? Will I have to do chemo and loose my hair? If ANYONE knows anything or can give me some support that would be great! Thanks!!!!!!!
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Shellybean
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Subject: RE: thymoma cancer
Date: 04/03/2007
Hi, I read your question regarding doctors finding an enlarged thymus and nodule in your lung.  I am wondering what kind of specialist you saw.  If I were you, I would get a referral to a cardiac-thoracic surgeon.  I wish we would have done this with my mother initially rather than waiting to get a specialist' opinion.  They found a "mediastinal mass" on a routine chest x-ray of my mother in December 2005.  We live in a small town and she was initially referred to a lung specialist who suspected Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  He did a "bronchoscopy", which is a computer guided needle biopsy of the mass.  We were told a good sample was taken and that the tissue was benign.  The doctor recommended CAT scans every three months to monitor the mass.  He stated if it did not grow, it was "probably nothing".  In November of 2006, just before Thanksgiving, the CAT scan showed the mass had grown.  At this point we insisted on a second opinion and went to IU Med Center where Dr. Kenneth Kessler, a reknowned cardiothoracic surgeon suspected cancer.  He did a core biopsy which confirmed a diagnosis of Stage 3 invasive Thymoma (cancer of the thymus gland/one of the rarest types of cancer which only one to two percent of the population ever get).  She is now seeing one of the only Thymoma specialist in the nation, Dr. Patrick Loehrer at IU Med center and has finished four rounds of chemotherapy.  They have scheduled her for another CAT scan in three weeks to see if the cancer has shrunk enough for the tumor to be operable. If so, they will remove the mass.  If not, they will do radiation.  You are young and, hopefully, you do not have cancer.  However, I do not want anyone else to go through what our family is going through and I would encourage you not to wait and to get a second opinion immediately.  Cancer is rare in younger people, but it does happen.  I wish you and your family the best!  Michelle.
Subject: RE: thymoma cancer
Date: 08/15/2008
Yep, local doctors don't know beans about thymoma and usually do more damage than good.  Get to a specialist at a large regional clinic.  If you are close enough, IU would be great.  If not, other like Mayo, MD Andersen, Stanford, Sloan Kettering, etc would be fine
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