Risk factors, while helpful, don’t necessarily tell us everything. Having a known risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will get the disease. And many people who get the disease may not have had any known risk factors.
In the case of Thymic Carcinoma no specific inherited, environmental, or lifestyle risk factors have been strongly linked to this cancer. Some studies have suggested a possible link with exposure to radiation to the upper chest area, but this has not been confirmed. The only known risk factors are age and ethnicity.
The risk of being diagnosed with Thymic Carcinoma increases with age. It is rare in children and young adults. It is most often seen in middle aged adults and most commonly diagnosed in those in their 70’s.
However as more doctors are becoming aware of Thymic Carcinoma and better able to diagnose the disease we are seeing an increase in diagnoses in young and middle-aged adults.
According to the American Cancer Society, in the United States this cancer is most commonly found in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It can be less common in White or Latinx people. It is more common in Black people than White people.