Hemangiomas are abnormal blood vessels and can be diagnosed invasively with coronary angiography, while lipomas can be diagnosed noninvasively with cardiac CT or MRI. Angiosarcomas are malignant tumors of the heart that usually originate in the right atrium and can spread throughout the body.
The symptoms of cancer near the heart vary depending on the type and location of the tumour. The most common type of cardiac sarcoma occurs in the right atrium and can cause distension in the neck, legs, or feet. A blockage of blood flow may also lead to sudden death or a stroke. Symptoms of heart cancer may be mild or severe, depending on where the tumour is located. Depending on the type and location, symptoms may be similar to those of heart failure.
Most primary heart cancers are difficult to treat because they grow rapidly and invade important heart structures. Because of the complexity of this type of cancer, most patients do not receive treatment until it is too advanced to remove. While chemotherapy and radiation therapy can sometimes slow the growth of tumors, the outcome of such treatment is not always optimal. In some cases, palliative care is the only option for these patients. Cancer treatment may involve medication, radiation therapy, or surgery to remove the tumor. Sometimes, palliative care may be used instead of surgery, but it is rarely effective.
Ultrasound imaging can also help doctors confirm the presence of a tumor near the heart. Echocardiograms are a way to see if the tumor is cancerous. The doctor can see the size of the tumor by looking at the heart’s electrical activity. Another diagnostic test for this type of tumor is a biopsy, which takes a tiny piece of the tumor and tests for the presence of cancer. The biopsy may also help the doctor determine whether the tumor is cancerous or benign.
Surgery is an effective treatment for primary cardiac tumors, but it is difficult to completely remove the cancer. Open-heart surgery may be an option, but this treatment is difficult because of its location. Some patients may develop the tumor so far that it can’t be removed. In such cases, heart transplantation has been attempted. In addition to surgical treatment, patients may take immunosuppressive medication to stop the body from rejecting foreign tissue. The immunosuppressive drugs, however, can cause the heart to reject the transplanted tissue, triggering the growth of new sarcomas.
Primary cardiac tumors are uncommon. Most are benign. The most common primary cardiac tumors are angiosarcomas, which begin as cells lining blood vessels. These cells then multiply, eventually bulge into the atrium, and spread to adjacent structures. Another type of cancer near the heart is cardiac lipoma, which is also rare. These tumors are most often found in adults, but they can still be fatal.
