Mediastinal tumor

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Lungs

Thymoma - mediastinal; Lymphoma - mediastinal

Treatment for mediastinal tumors varies based on the type of tumor.

• For thymic cancers, surgery is the primary treatment of choice followed by radiation or chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the tumor and the success of the surgery.
• For lymphomas, chemotherapy followed by radiation is the treatment of choice.
• For neurogenic tumors of the posterior mediastinum, surgery is the treatment of choice.

Prognosis varies based on the type of tumor. Different tumors have varying responses to chemotherapy and radiation.

Complications of mediastinal tumors include invasion of surrounding structures such as the heart, pericardium (the lining around the heart), and great vessels (the aorta and vena cava). Spinal cord compression is a complication seen in tumors of the posterior mediastinum. Radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy can all have serious complications.

Call your health care provider if you notice symptoms of a mediastinal tumor.

Review Date: 09/11/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.