A cancer near the heart can be either benign or malignant. While the former is less common, the latter can be dangerous and can cause a heart attack or stroke. Symptoms vary depending on the part of the heart affected. Cancers near the heart can cause blockages in the heart valves or lead to a stroke if they become clumpy and lodge in the arteries. These blockages are known as embolisms.
The heart is made up of connective tissue, so tumors that begin within its walls are rare. Most heart cancers develop in the epithelial tissue that lines the rest of the organs. This makes it prone to diseases of the blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis. Cancers in the heart, however, can also affect heart muscle function. Even so, most tumors in the heart are curable with surgery.
While cancer near the heart can be treated with surgery, it isn’t simple. Surgery takes six hours and involves a detailed, meticulous cut out of the tumor. Surgeons must carefully cut around the tumor to avoid damaging the vital network of the heart. Negative margins are crucial for ensuring that no cancerous tissue remains behind. Otherwise, the tumor might grow back. Despite the risks, however, only two out of five patients will have a successful outcome.
Treatment for cancer near the heart can include radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. It is important to follow the treatment plan with a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals. The cardiologist and the oncologist must all contribute to the decision-making process. Case No. 1 demonstrates how surgery combined with radio/chemotherapy can treat the tumor and prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body. Survivors in survivorship clinics are closely monitored for cardiac late effects and can be referred to a cardio-oncologist.
While primary cardiac tumors are extremely rare, they pose a serious threat to young patients. The best way to diagnose and treat it is to visit an experienced center. Expert doctors can use multiple imaging techniques to detect the presence of cancer and prescribe aggressive treatment if the tumor is suspected. The Mayo Clinic sees one person with cancer near the heart each year. A successful treatment plan will include multiple imaging techniques and systemic chemotherapy. However, there are some warning signs that could indicate a cancer near the heart.
Cancers near the heart are more common than the cancers outside the heart. About eighty percent of heart tumors are benign. Malignant cancers usually spread from other organs to the heart. Most often, malignant melanomas have the highest incidence of spreading to the heart. However, despite the presence of symptoms, cancer in the heart is deadly if left untreated. Surgical treatment for myxoma, rhabmyomas, and fibromas are usually successful, although there are some rare cases where it spreads to other parts of the body.
Primary heart tumors are rare and occur in less than one in 2,000 people. A primary heart tumor develops in the heart and is benign. Metastatic heart tumors are cancers that have spread from another organ. They usually originate in the lungs and spread from there. However, if you are diagnosed with a primary heart tumor, the symptoms will depend on where the tumor is located in the heart. If it is located on the surface of the heart, it will probably cause symptoms similar to those of a primary heart tumor.
