At Fox Chase Cancer Center, our multidisciplinary medical team works closely to accurately diagnose your thymoma and help you understand your options so that you can make an informed decision about your treatment.
As a regional and national leader in cancer care, Fox Chase Cancer Center has a wealth of experience treating all types of lung cancer.
Our skilled thoracic oncology team meets regularly to review patient cases and map out a personalized treatment plan. We strive to treat your cancer in the least invasive way possible using innovative surgical techniques and combination therapies that give you the best chance of a successful outcome.
Our doctors are also actively involved in developing new therapies for treating thymoma. Through clinical trials, we are able to offer our patients access to promising treatments and experimental therapies that may not be available elsewhere. Ask your Fox Chase doctor if a clinical trial is right for you.
Your Treatment Options
Treatment for thymoma depends on the stage, type, and grade of your cancer; whether it has spread to other tissue; and your age, health history, and personal goals. Your personalized treatment plan will be created after consultations with physicians within our multidisciplinary team and may include a combination of one or more of the following treatment options: surgery, radiation therapy, systemic therapy (chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy), interventional pulmonology, or a combination of these.
Surgery
Surgery is frequently recommended in the treatment of thymoma and thymic carcinoma, particularly in the early stages when the disease is localized. Fox Chase thoracic surgeons are highly skilled in both radical surgery and minimally-invasive techniques such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery. This expertise provides the greatest range of options for individuals needing surgery and generally results in shorter hospital stays.
Systemic Therapy
The medical oncologists at Fox Chase are regional and national leaders in the treatment of thymoma. As part of the multidisciplinary team, your medical oncologist will help to determine your personalized treatment plan, which may include systemic therapies, such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy, either as standard of care or as part of a clinical trial. Systemic therapy may be given before or after surgery and may also be recommended to patients who are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic cancer).
Radiation Therapy
The radiation oncologists at Fox Chase specialize in treating thymoma using the latest radiation therapies. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells and may be given in combination with chemotherapy if you are unable to tolerate surgery or in combination with chemotherapy and surgery.
Interventional Pulmonology
Our interventional pulmonologists utilize advanced bronchoscopic and pleuroscopic techniques to treat a variety of disorders ranging from tracheobronchial obstruction and stenosis to pleural effusions associated with cancerous chest tumors. Our pulmonologists also have extensive experience in perioperative management of thymoma patients, specifically in critical care areas and in patients with limited lung function.