A little fatty gland located beneath your sternum is frequently referred to as “useless” in adolescence.
Yet, the latest retrospective analysis reveals that the thymus gland is not as completely disposable as doctors previously believed.
According to US studies, those who have their thymus removed are more likely to die later in life coming from any cause.
Additionally, they have a higher chance of getting cancer.
The study is solely observational, thus it cannot demonstrate that removing the thymus promotes cancer or similar deadly diseases in a cause-and-effect manner.
Yet the findings of the study worry the investigators. They contend that if possible, protecting the thymus “must be a clinical priority” till we learn more.
According to oncologist David Scadden, “the scale of risk was a shock we might have never imagined” (Anne Manning, Harvard Gazette).
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