Health Dictionary Find a Doctor

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]

Overview

Overview

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.

Epidemiology and Demographics

Epidemiology and Demographics

Prevalence

  • 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.

Age

  • 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.

Gender

  • 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.

Race

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

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 National Cancer Institute. General Information About Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma Treatment. http://www.cancer.gov/types/thymoma/hp/thymoma-treatment-pdq. Accessed on 22nd December, 2015.

Looking for the patient version?

Back to the patient-friendly article

© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH