This organ is often removed as 'useless' by doctors. But it might keep death, cancer away
Representative image.
A small fatty gland which sits behind the sternum and is often said to be useless in adulthood seems to be of quite benefits and might even fight cancer. Citing a recent retrospective study, a report by Science Alert on Monday (August 14) said that the thymus gland is not nearly as expendable as experts once thought. American researchers found out in the study that people who get their thymus removed face an increased risk of death from any cause in later life. Such people also face an increased risk of developing cancer.
The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine saidthat preserving the thymus "should be a clinical priority" where possible andthe researchers hypothesised that the adult "thymus is needed to sustain immune competence and overall health."
The significance of thymus
In childhood, the thymus is known to play a critical role in developing the immune system. And when the gland is removed at a young age, patients show a long-term reduction in T-cells - a type of White Blood Cell (WBC) which fights germs and diseases.
However, when a person reaches puberty, the thymus shrivels up and produces far fewer T-cells for the body. The thymus can be removed, and isoften taken out during cardiothoracic surgery.
Patients with thymus cancer or chronic autoimmune diseases require thymectomy in which the thymus is surgically removed.
"We evaluated the risk of death, cancer, and autoimmune disease among adult patients who had undergone thymectomy as compared with demographically matched controls who had undergone similar cardiothoracic surgery without thymectomy. T-cell production and plasma cytokine levels were also compared in a subgroup of patients," the study said.
Results
The study said that after excursions, 1420 patients who had undergone thymectomy and 6021 controls were included in the study; 1146 of the patients who had undergone thymectomy had a matched control and were included in the primary cohort.
The study added that five years after surgery, all-cause mortality was higher in the thymectomy group than in the control group, as was the risk of cancer. "Although the risk of autoimmune disease did not differ substantially between the groups in the overall primary cohort, a difference was found when patients with preoperative infection, cancer, or autoimmune disease were excluded from the analysis," the study added.
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