Cardiac Tumors

What are cardiac tumors?

Cardiac tumors are abnormal growths in the heart. Tumors that begin in the heart are called primary tumors. Tumors can be either benign or malignant. Malignant tumors are cancerous and may spread. Benign tumors do not grow uncontrollably and usually do not spread throughout the body.

Cancers that start in another part of the body and spread to the heart are called secondary tumors or metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer in the heart most often spreads from the lung, breast, blood, and skin (melanoma).

Cardiac tumors are very rare. About half of all cardiac tumors are benign tumors called myxomas. About one-fourth of cardiac tumors are malignant sarcomas (cancers of the muscle cells of the heart).

How do they occur?

The cause of primary cardiac tumors is unknown. They are more common in women than in men.

What are the symptoms?

Tumors may interfere with the normal function of the heart. They may cause symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, abnormal rhythms, fast heart beats, or fainting.

Myxomas often are pedunculated (attached to the heart by a thin cord-like structure, like a ball on the end of a string). This allows the tumor to swing freely with the blood flow. It may block and unblock heart valves, thus stopping and unstopping the blood flow. Rarely, myxomas disturb the electrical rhythm of the heart.

Myxomas can cause symptoms that affect other parts of the body, such as fever, rashes, and arthritis. Pieces of myxomas may break off, travel in the bloodstream, and block a blood vessel (embolize) in another part of the body. If they travel to the brain, they can cause a stroke.

How are they diagnosed?

Cardiac tumors are uncommon and may be difficult to diagnose. Myxomas may mimic the symptoms of many other diseases.

They are most commonly diagnosed by echocardiogram. Examples of other commonly used tests include transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE), MRI, and CT scans.

How are they treated?

The treatment depends on what kind of tumor you have. Surgery to remove the tumor may be recommended if it is not too large and can be completely removed without damaging the heart itself. Medicines may be used to treat symptoms of heart failure or abnormal heart rhythms.

What is the long term outlook?

The outlook is poor without treatment. Even though a myxoma is a benign tumor, complications are common. If your myxoma has been surgically removed, you may expect to be symptom-free and have a normal lifespan. Sometimes, the myxoma can come back, so regular check-ups are important.

The long term outlook varies greatly with the type of tumor. For a secondary tumor, the more the cancer has spread, the less chance for cure.

Talk with your healthcare provider about your particular situation.