11-yr-old boy saved from rare chest tumor at Medicover Cancer Institute

Hyderabad: In a remarkable medical success, doctors at Medicover Cancer Institute, Hitec City, saved the life of an 11-year-old boy diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening chest tumor (Thymoma).

The child had been suffering from chest pain, breathlessness, and recurrent infections for nearly five months—symptoms often mistaken for common respiratory illnesses. Experts note that 20–30% of pediatric chest tumors are initially misdiagnosed due to such overlap. On evaluation, doctors diagnosed a tumor in the anterior mediastinum compressing the heart and airway. A biopsy confirmed Thymoma—an extremely rare condition in children, accounting for less than 1% of pediatric tumors, typically seen in adults aged 40–60 years.

A multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Ravi Chander, Senior Consultant Surgical Oncologist, performed a complex sternotomy and successfully removed the tumor. The child recovered well and was discharged within five days. He has now resumed school and normal life.

Dr. Ravi Chander said, “Early suspicion is key, as such tumors mimic routine conditions but can quickly become life-threatening if untreated.”