Final answer:
Common tumors of the middle mediastinum include lymphoma, germ cell tumors, neurogenic tumors, and metastases from other cancers such as breast and lung cancer. These tumors can present with various symptoms due to their location near vital anatomical structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The common tumors of the middle mediastinum include a variety of neoplasms originating from different tissues. These include lymphoma (especially non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), which involves malignancies of hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells, germ cell tumors that arise from totipotent cells (common in adolescents and young adults, often found on the body midline), and neurogenic tumors such as nerve sheath tumors (schwannomas, neurofibromas) and ganglioneuromas.
In addition, the middle mediastinum can be the site of metastases from cancers originating in other locations, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and lymphomas that may secondarily involve this area. Due to the proximity of the mediastinum to important anatomical structures, tumors here can cause a range of symptoms and may require multimodal treatment strategies.