Risk Factors for Thymoma and Thymic Cancer
A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Several risk factors make a person more likely to develop thymoma and thymic cancer:
- Smoking is the leading cause of thymoma and thymic cancer, with nearly 90 percent of thymoma and thymic cancer deaths thought to be a result of smoking, although approximately 20 percent of women with thymoma and thymic cancer have never smoked. Most non-smokers who get thymoma and thymic cancer are of Asian ancestry, are women, or both. These tumors often contain a specific EGFR gene mutation, which makes them treatable with “targeted therapy” drugs, taken in pill form.
Additional risk factors include:
- Secondhand smoke - breathing in the smoke of others
- Asbestos exposure
- Cancer-causing agents in the workplace, including:
- radioactive ores such as uranium
- arsenic
- vinyl chloride
- chromates
- coal products
- mustard gas
- chloromethyl ethers
- Radon - a radioactive gas that cannot been seen, tasted, or smelled. It is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium. High levels of radon may be found in some homes or other buildings, especially in basements.
- Personal or family history of thymoma and thymic cancer
- Air pollution
In some cities, air pollution may slightly increase the risk of thymoma and thymic cancer.
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