Hi
Just read your post and I remembered looking up the lymph system wen I was first diagnosed T3, N1, M0
I got this from
http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/sigbio/project/ ... ymph5.html I removed a few words as it's a bit over your head but looks like even if it was removed it wouldn't be a problems?
I know my oncologist has said that it may turn out that my affected nodes are just swollen as a reaction to the tumour growing near it since lymph nodes swell when they're fighting baddies in your body - a boyfriend hit his elbow hard once and a node in his face grew to the size of an orange - as it got infected and soon went down with antibiotics. Mad thing the human body! Maybe that's why your thymus gland is showing up - I'd push for an explanation - most doctors will give you more detail if they think you want it but don't like to confuse you initially.
The Thymus is in your throat area and when removed from adult mammals, few effects are seen. However, when the thymus is removed at birth, dramatic effects are witnessed
During its development many cells migrate towards it, most of which are lymphocytes. The thymus is divided into two distinct compartments. Both regions are densly populated with lymphocytes (or thymocytes while in the thymus).
The main function of the thymus is to develop immature T-cells into immunocompetent T-cells. This process begins with the production of pre-T cells in the bone marrow and their subsequent transport to the thymus via the blood. The pre-T cells are then taken into the cortex of the thymus. Here, a series of molecular events take place allowing the cells to recognize certain antigens. Some of the cells recognize self-components, and these are elmiminated by a process of negative selection. Those that fail the selection die and those that live proceed to the medulla and eventually into the blood stream where they act upon foreign agents in the body.
Keep up the good fight!
