Heart cancer

{{main|Primary tumors of the heart}}

Most heart tumors begin with myxomas, fibromas, rhabdomyomas, and hamartomas, although malignant sarcomas (such as angiosarcoma or cardiac sarcoma) have been known to occur. In a study of 12,487 autopsies performed in Hong Kong seven cardiac tumors were found, most of which were benign.{{cite web |url=http://www.mayoclinic.org/heart-cancer/expert-answers/faq-20058130 |title=Heart cancer: Is there such a thing? |last=Moynihan |first=Timothy J. | name-list-style = vanc |website=MayoClinic.com |date=2015-03-25 |access-date=2015-06-01}} According to Mayo Clinic: "At Mayo Clinic, on average only one case of heart cancer is seen each year." In a study conducted in the Hospital of the Medical University of Vienna 113 primary cardiac tumour cases were identified in a time period of 15 years with 11 being malignant. The mean survival in the latter group of patients was found to be {{nowrap|26.2 ± 9.8 months}}.{{cite journal | vauthors = Habertheuer A, Laufer G, Wiedemann D, Andreas M, Ehrlich M, Rath C, Kocher A | title = Primary cardiac tumors on the verge of oblivion: a European experience over 15 years | journal = Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery | volume = 10 | pages = 56 | date = April 2015 | pmid = 25928192 | pmc = 4423145 | doi = 10.1186/s13019-015-0255-4 | doi-access = free }}

Primary malignant cardiac tumors (PMCTs) are even rarer. The most recent published study about PMCTs used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) Cancer Registry to study 497 patients with PMCTs who were diagnosed during 2000–2001 in the United States. Most cases were angiosarcomas (27.3%) with an incidence of 0.107 per 1,000,000 person-years and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas [NHL] (26.9%), with an incidence of 0.108 per 1,000,000 person-years. The incidence rate of NHL increased significantly over the study period, but the incidence of cardiac angiosarcomas did not. The overall survival of NHL was found to be significantly better than angiosarcomas.{{cite journal | vauthors = Saad AM, Abushouk AI, Al-Husseini MJ, Salahia S, Alrefai A, Afifi AM, Abdel-Daim MM | title = Characteristics, survival and incidence rates and trends of primary cardiac malignancies in the United States | journal = Cardiovascular Pathology | volume = 33 | pages = 27–31 | date = December 2017 | pmid = 29414429 | doi = 10.1016/j.carpath.2017.12.001 }}

Another previous study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) Cancer Registry from 1973 to 2011 found 551 cases of PMCTs, with an incidence of 34 cases per million persons. The study also found that the incidence has doubled over the past four decades. The associated mortality was very high, with only 46% of patients alive after one year. Sarcomas and mesotheliomas had the worst survival, while lymphomas had better survival. When compared with extracardiac tumors, PMCTs had worse survival.{{cite journal | vauthors = Oliveira GH, Al-Kindi SG, Hoimes C, Park SJ | title = Characteristics and Survival of Malignant Cardiac Tumors: A 40-Year Analysis of >500 Patients | journal = Circulation | volume = 132 | issue = 25 | pages = 2395–402 | date = December 2015 | pmid = 26467256 | doi = 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.016418 | s2cid = 14973340 }}

Secondary or metastatic heart tumours are much more common than primary heart tumours, occurring even 100 times more often.Burke A, Virmani R. Tumors of the Cardiovascular System, Atlas of Tumour Pathology, 3rd Series, Fascicle 16. Washington, DC: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology 1996 Every tumour in theory can metastasize to the heart with the only exception being tumours of the central nervous system.{{Cite journal|last=Reynen|first=K.|date=2004-03-01|title=Metastases to the heart|journal=Annals of Oncology|language=en|volume=15|issue=3|pages=375–381|doi=10.1093/annonc/mdh086|pmid=14998838|issn=0923-7534|doi-access=free}} Malignant melanomas frequently metastasize to the heart, and represent the tumour with the highest rate of cardiac metastases (in more than half of cases).{{Cite journal|date=1968-04-01|title=The heart in malignant melanoma: A study of 70 autopsy cases|journal=The American Journal of Cardiology|language=en|volume=21|issue=4|pages=555–571|doi=10.1016/0002-9149(68)90289-0|pmid=5650736|issn=0002-9149|last1=Glancy|first1=D.Luke|last2=Roberts|first2=William C.}}

Patients with heart tumours usually have non-specific symptoms, such as dyspnea (in particular, shortness of breath when lying down), thoracoabdominal pain (pain in the general area around the heart), fatigue, hemoptysis, nausea and vomiting, fever, weight loss, and night sweats. These symptoms mimic symptoms of other heart diseases, which can make diagnosis difficult.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

In most cases, the diagnosis is based on clinical history, echocardiography, a CT scan or an MRI scan.{{Cite journal|last1=Kumar|first1=Manish|last2=Tigadi|first2=Supriya|last3=Azrin|first3=Michael A.|last4=Kim|first4=Agnes S.|date=2019-05-21|title=Multimodality Imaging of a Right Atrial Cardiac Mass|journal=Cureus|volume=11|issue=5|pages=e4705|doi=10.7759/cureus.4705|doi-access=free |issn=2168-8184|pmc=6649882|pmid=31355065}} Cardiac tumours are often first diagnosed after the patient has had a stroke or an embolism caused by detached tumour tissue.{{cite journal | vauthors = Hoffmeier A, Sindermann JR, Scheld HH, Martens S | title = Cardiac tumors--diagnosis and surgical treatment | journal = Deutsches Ärzteblatt International | volume = 111 | issue = 12 | pages = 205–11 | date = March 2014 | pmid = 24717305 | pmc = 3983698 | doi = 10.3238/arztebl.2014.0205 }}

{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2020}}

Most of these can be cured if the tumor can be completely removed.

When a tumor is very large or there are multiple tumors, removing part of it that is not inside the heart walls can improve or eliminate symptoms. Some types can be followed with yearly echocardiograms instead of surgery if they are no longer causing symptoms.

Because they grow rapidly and invade important heart structures, they can be very difficult to treat.

Unfortunately, most are not found until surgical removal is no longer possible. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are sometimes used to try to slow tumor growth and improve symptoms (palliative care), but frequently they are ineffective for primary heart cancer.

In most cases, patients with heart metastases have advanced tumour disease, with the heart being only one of the many places involved in the generalised tumour spread. At that stage of the disease, the patients will likely have already undergone extensive chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgical procedures. Cardiac treatment is usually confined to palliative measures.

• Henry VIII's first wife Catherine of Aragon's death is believed to have resulted from heart cancer.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}
• Eric Carr, American musician, drummer of the rock band Kiss, died of heart cancer.{{Cite web|last=Wilkening|first=Matthew|title=The Day Kiss Drummer Eric Carr Died|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-drummer-eric-carr-died-twenty-years-ago-today/|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=24 November 2015 |language=en}}
• Alexander Belov, Soviet basketball player.{{Cite web|title=The Free Lance-Star – Google News Archive Search|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19781005&id=Ot5NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8ooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6493,498794|access-date=2020-06-13|website=news.google.com}}
• Mimi Lerner, Polish-American mezzo-soprano, died of heart tumor.{{Cite news|last=Heydarpour|first=Roja|date=2007-04-14|title=Mimi Lerner, 61, Opera Singer With an Unconventional Career, Dies|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/obituaries/14lerner.html|url-access=subscription|access-date=2021-11-24|issn=0362-4331}}
• Ondřej Buchtela, Czech professional ice hockey defenceman, sarcoma of the heart muscle.{{Cite web|date=24 July 2020|title=Zemřel Ondřej Buchtela|trans-title=Ondřej Buchtela died|url=https://hokejbenatky.cz/clanek.asp?id=Zemrel-Ondrej-Buchtela-3330|access-date=2021-11-24|website=hokejbenatky.cz}}
• Virgil Abloh, artistic director for Louis Vuitton and founder of fashion label Off White, died of cardiac angiosarcoma.{{Cite web|date=November 28, 2021|title=Virgil Abloh, fashion designer behind Off-White and Louis Vuitton, dies of cancer at 41|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/virgil-abloh-obit-louis-vuitton-1.6265935|access-date=November 29, 2021|website=CBC}}
• Akkaphan Namart, Thai actor, was diagnosed with the disease in 2022. He died two years later.{{cite web|url=https://www.nationthailand.com/life/entertainment/40041689|title=Thousands of fans mourn the death of Channel 7 star Akkaphan|publisher=Nation}}

• Primary tumors of the heart

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{{Medical resources

| DiseasesDB =

| ICD10 = {{ICD10|C|38|0|c|30}}, {{ICD10|D|15|1|d|10}}

| ICD9 = {{ICD9|164.1}}, {{ICD9|212.7}}

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| MeshID = D006338

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{{Heart and thymus neoplasia}}

Category:Heart neoplasia

Category:Rare cancers