After Thymus Cancer Treatment

The end of treatment can bring up many feelings. You may be relieved to finish treatment, but it’s also common to worry about cancer coming back. This is very common.

For most people with thymus cancer (thymoma or thymic carcinoma), treatment can remove or destroy the cancer. For others, the cancer might never go away completely. Some people continue to get treatments to help control the cancer. Some people also need ongoing medical management for paraneoplastic syndromes that continue even after the thymoma has been treated. Living with cancer that does not go away can be difficult.

No matter your situation, there are steps you can take to stay as healthy as possible, both physically and emotionally. Talk with your care team to develop a survivorship plan that’s right for you.

Follow-up care

After you’ve finished treatment, your doctors will want to watch you closely. Go to all of your follow-up appointments. During these visits, your doctors will ask about any problems you may have. They may do exams, lab tests, or imaging tests.

Visits with your care team

At first, your doctor will most likely want to see you every few months. Over time, the time between visits may get longer if there are no problems. Most people get a chest CT scan every 6 months or so for the first couple of years, then once a year for 5 to 10 years.

Follow-up visits are used to check for cancer recurrence or spread, as well as possible side effects of treatments. This is the time to ask your cancer care team any questions and to discuss any concerns.

Long-term and late side effects

Almost any cancer treatment can have side effects. Some last for only a few days or weeks, but others might last longer. Some side effects might not even show up until years after treatment has ended. These are called long-term and late effects. Being aware of these effects can help you stay as healthy as possible for years to come.

Questions to ask your care team

• What type of follow-up will I need after treatment?
• What side effects should I watch for?
• How will we know if the thymus cancer comes back? What should I watch for?
• What will my options be if the cancer comes back?

Your survivorship care plan

Talk with your doctor about a survivorship care plan. This plan can guide your next steps after treatment, including follow-up appointments and ways to stay healthy.

A survivorship plan might include:

• A suggested schedule for follow-up exams and tests
• A timeline for other tests, such as screening for other cancers or monitoring for long-term health effects from your cancer or treatment
• A list of possible late-term or long-term side effects to watch for and when to contact your doctor
• Diet and physical activity suggestions

Staying prepared and organized

Even after treatment, keeping your health records and insurance information organized can make it easier to manage your follow-up care, future checkups, and any new concerns that may come up.

Keep your health insurance and medical records

It’s very important to keep health insurance as a thymus cancer survivor. Insurance can help cover the cost of follow-up visits, tests, and any care you may need in the future. No one wants to think about their cancer coming back, but it’s best to be prepared.

At some point, you might see a new doctor who doesn’t know your cancer history. Keep copies of your medical records so you can easily share the details of your diagnosis and treatment when needed.

Can I lower my risk of the thymus cancer growing or coming back?

Healthy habits such as not smoking, eating well, getting regular physical activity, and staying at a healthy weight might help, but we don’t know for certain. What we do know is that these habits are good for your overall health beyond your risk of thymus cancer or other cancers.

Dietary supplements

No dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products, have been shown to help lower the risk of thymus cancer growing or coming back. They may be helpful in other ways, but this isn’t well understood.

Dietary supplements are not regulated like medicines in the United States. They do not have to be proven effective or safe before being sold. However, there are limits on what they’re allowed to claim they can do.

If you’re thinking about taking a nutritional supplement, talk to your healthcare team. They can help you decide which ones are safe to use and which to avoid.

If the cancer comes back

If the cancer comes back, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is, what treatments you’ve had before, and your health and preferences. For more on how recurrent cancer is treated, see Treatment of Thymus Cancer by Extent and Type of Tumor.

For more general information on recurrence, you might also want to see Understanding Recurrence.

Second cancers after treatment

People who’ve had cancer can be affected by other health problems, but often their greatest concern is facing cancer again. Cancer that comes back after treatment is called a recurrence. But some cancer survivors may develop a new, unrelated cancer later. This is called a second cancer.

Unfortunately, being treated for thymus cancer doesn’t mean you can’t get another cancer. If you’ve had thymus cancer, you can still get the same types of cancers that other people get. In fact, you might be at higher risk for certain types of cancer, including:

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Soft-tissue sarcoma

Doctors generally don’t recommend any additional testing to look for second cancers in people who’ve had thymus cancer. But be sure to let your doctor know about any new symptoms or problems. They could be caused by the cancer coming back or by a new disease or second cancer.

Can I lower my risk of getting a second cancer?

There are steps you can take to help lower your risk of a second cancer and stay as healthy as possible.

For example, it’s important to stay away from tobacco products. Smoking increases the risk of many cancers. If you smoke, stopping might help lower that risk.

To help maintain good health, it’s also important to:

• Get to and stay at a healthy weight.
• Stay physically active and limit the time you spend sitting or lying down.
• Eat healthy foods, including plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods.
• Avoid alcohol. If you do drink, have no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 per day for men.

These steps may also lower the risk of other health problems, including heart disease.

See Second Cancers in Adults for more information.

Survivors of thymus cancer should also follow the American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer.

Getting emotional support

It is normal to feel depressed, anxious, or worried when cancer is a part of your life. Some people are affected more than others. But everyone can benefit from help and support, whether this is from friends and family, religious groups, support groups, professional counselors, or others.

Learn more in Life After Cancer.