Diagnosis and Treatment of Thymoma

The thymus is the site in the body where T-lymphocyte cells of the immune system go to mature into a form where they can recognize and fight foreign invaders. Although the cause of thymoma is unclear, it is often associated with an immune syndrome called myasthenia gravis.

Stanford Expertise

When you are being treated for cancer you want a physician who is familiar with your particular disease. Yet because thymoma is very rare it can be difficult to find a doctor who has treated patients with the disease.

Our specialists at the Cancer Center not only treat thymoma, but also offer the most advanced diagnostic technologies and treatments available today.

A Personalized, Team Approach

At the Stanford Cancer Center we take a multidisciplinary approach to thymoma through the Thoracic Oncology Program. Physicians from a variety of specialties are involved in patient evaluation, diagnosis, and therapy. Our treatment team includes faculty physicians from surgical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, medical oncology, and pulmonary medicine.

The Multidisciplinary Thoracic Tumor Board meets weekly to evaluate newly diagnosed patients with a team approach. By having your personalized treatment plan developed by experts from each different field, you can be assured that all possible treatment approaches have been considered and the one that is best for you is put into place.

Diagnosis
Determining whether the cancer is benign or malignant is one of the major challenges in thymoma diagnosis. Cancer Center physicians have access to the most advanced technology to make as accurate a diagnosis as possible, including: 

• Spiral CT screening for mesothelioma, one of the most advanced computer-aided diagnostic systems to assist in screening for abnormalities.  
  
  
• Expertise in CT-directed biopsy to ensure that biopsies contain the cells that will yield the most accurate analysis. 
  
  
• PET (positron emission tomography) imaging, both investigational and for staging of mesothelioma to ensure that you receive the most appropriate treatment. 
  
  
• Fine Needle Aspirate team -- specialized pathologists skilled in making a diagnosis from a tiny number of cells or tissue obtained by less invasive fine-needle aspiration.

Treatment
The treatment your physician team chooses will vary depending on the specific characteristics of your disease.

In general, treatment begins with surgery. Cancer Center physicians can offer minimally invasive surgical techniques to patients for whom it is appropriate. In addition, treatment may include chemotherapy and/or advanced radiation therapies.

Cancer Center physicians have access to a range of cutting edge treatments that may be appropriate for you, including:

• Radiofrequency ablation, an advanced, minimally invasive procedure that uses a heat-generating, electrode-tipped catheter to destroy tumor cells.  
  
  
• Photodynamic therapy program with laser for removing obstructing lesions.  
  
  
• Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) that allows doctors to deliver a high dose of radiation to the tumor site while a patient is still in the operating room during surgery. One-time IORT is more convenient than traditional radiotherapy and reduces the exposure of healthy tissues to radiation. 
  
  
• Intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) that reduces the dose of radiation received by healthy tissue, and can allow doctors to deliver radiation to difficult-to-reach areas. 
  
  
• Brachytherapy -- the placement of radioactive materials at the tumor site to deliver more targeted radiation therapy and make treatment more convenient. 
  
  
• Bronchial stenting that opens up airways and makes breathing easier.

Advanced Experimental Therapy
A complete list of clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation, and new surgical techniques for patients with advanced lung disease is available at the clinical trials database.