Thymic carcinoma epidemiology

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: , Marjan Khan M.B.B.S.[2]

The prevalence of thymic carcinoma is approximately 0.00006 per 100,000 individuals worldwide. Males are more commonly affected with thymic carcinoma than females. The male to female ratio is approximately 3 to 1. It is more common in Asians and African Americans than in Caucasians. Thymic malignancies are relatively rare in the range of 0.2% to 1.5% of all malignancies or 0.13 per 100,000 person-years in the United States. Thymic malignancies are among the most common mediastinal primary tumors with up to 50% of anterior mediastinal masses proving to be of thymic descent. Invasive thymomas and thymic carcinomas are relatively rare tumors, which together represent about 0.2% to 1.5% of all malignancies. Thymic carcinoma are rare and have been reported to account for only 0.06% of all thymic neoplasms. The risk of thymic carcinoma increases with age. Thymic carcinoma is uncommon in children, it is seen more often in middle-aged adults. Thymic carcinoma commonly affects individuals between 40-60 years of age.

• Thymic malignancies are relatively rare in the range of 0.2% to 1.5% of all malignancies or 0.13 per 100,000 person-years in the United States
• Thymic malignancies are among the most common mediastinal primary tumors with up to 50% of anterior mediastinal masses proving to be of thymic descent.
• Invasive thymomas and thymic carcinomas are relatively rare tumors, which together represent about 0.2% to 1.5% of all malignancies.^[1]
• Thymic carcinoma are rare and have been reported to account for only 0.06% of all thymic neoplasms.

• The risk of thymic carcinoma increases with age.^[1]
• Thymic carcinoma is uncommon in children, it is seen more often in middle-aged adults.
• Thymic carcinoma commonly affects individuals between 40-60 years of age.

• Males have a slightly higher risk of developing thymic malignancies than females, and the risk rises with age, reaching a peak in the seventh decade of life, which is in direct contrast to the progressive involution of the thymus with age.
• Males are more commonly affected with thymic carcinoma than females. The male to female ratio is approximately 3 to 1.

• It is more common in Asians and African Americans than in Caucasians.