Heart cancer
Heart cancer
Heart cancer is an extremely rare form of cancer that is divided into primary tumors of the heart and secondary tumors of the heart.
What is heart cancer?
Primary cancers of the heart, in which the cancer starts and develops in the heart, are very rare. Metastatic tumors in the heart, in which the cancer originated at another location and spread to the heart, occur twenty times more frequently than primary heart cancers, although they too are also not common. The American Cancer Society estimated that about 10,000 new cases of soft tissue cancers (including heart cancer) are diagnosed each year in the United States . Heart cancers can develop from any part of the heart. Benign myxomas are the most common tumor arising from within the heart. Even though their cellularity is benign they may still be lethal, as described below. In adults, the most common malignant heart cancers are angiosarcomas, which tend to develop in the right upper chamber of the heart (atrium). Angiosarcomas originate from cells that form the lining of blood vessels. When these cells become cancerous, they multiply and create irregular blood vessel-like masses that can bulge into the atrium and spread to adjacent structures.
Primary
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. 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 26.2 ± 9.8 months.
Primary malignant cardiac tumors (PMCTs) are even more rare. A study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) Cancer Registry from 1973–2011 found 551 case of PMCTs, with an incidence of 34 cases per million persons. The study also found that the incidence has doubled over the past 4 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.
Heart cancer treatment
Leading Israeli private hospital "Herzliya Medical Center" successfully diagnoses and treat malignant heart tumor. Treatment of heart cancer in Israel is based on modern cardiac procedures and highly efficient complex therapy. "Herzliya Medical Center" clinic patients have the opportunity to complete a full course of an examination, treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up care and from the best cardiologists and oncologists of the country.
Types of heart tumors
Heart cancer treatment
Leading Israeli private hospital "Herzliya Medical Center" successfully diagnoses and treat malignant heart tumor. Treatment of heart cancer in Israel is based on modern cardiac procedures and highly efficient complex therapy. "Herzliya Medical Center" clinic patients have the opportunity to complete a full course of an examination, treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up care and from the best cardiologists and oncologists of the country.
Types of heart tumors
There are primary malignant cardiac tumors and secondary (metastatic) tumor with origin from other organs. Regarding the primary forms of cardiac cancer, it should be noted:
- Mesothelioma. This malignant tumor develops from the pericardium cells. Like other malignant tumors, mesothelioma is able to germinate in the neighboring tissues and metastatic spread (usually in the spine and the brain)
- Heart sarcoma. This tumor develops from connective tissue cells. The types of heart sarcomas are secreted angiosarcoma, fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and undifferentiated heart sarcoma.
- Primary heart lymphoma. This is a relatively rare form of lymphoma which occurs mainly in patients with severe immune deficiency (including Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). This is aggressive tumor with rapid growth.
Causes of heart cancer
Oncologists continue to study the causes of cells malignant transformation and the occurrence of heart tumors. Despite the fact that nowadays, researchers cannot clearly identify the causes of heart malignant tumors, it has been revealed a genetic predisposition to this disease development. The cause of heart cancer may be hereditary syndromes. "Herzliya Medical Center" specialists in genetics can help to diagnose genetic relationship of the tumor and to determine the risk degree of the disease in the patient's immediate relatives.
Symptoms of heart cancer
In addition to the common features of cancer intoxication, the symptoms of heart tumor include severe hemodynamic insufficiency. Also, symptoms of heart cancer depend on the localization:
- The compression of ventricles and great vessels is typical for tumors, which located in the pericardium. Moreover, compression is the often cause of cardiac tamponade. It can significantly reduce the heart ejection and develop a progressive heart insufficiency.
- Tumor's germination in the muscle layer (myocardium) affect its function and can be a cause of arrhythmias (heart rhythm disorders) due to cardiac conduction system lesions. The tumor can also cause significant disturbances in coronary blood flow and myocardial ischemia. Tumor's growth in ventricles leads to a reduction in their function and damage the valve system, accompanied by the development of acquired heart defects.
- Heart tumors significantly increase the risk of a thrombosis and severe thromboembolic complications.
Diagnosis of heart tumors in Israel
In case of clinical suspicion of heart tumor specialists of hospital "Herzliya Medical Center" conduct a comprehensive diagnosis, which includes:
- Echocardiography through the chest and / or esophagus. This ultrasound technique allows to diagnose a majority of structural heart defects, the presence of blood clots, as well as to evaluate the function of the heart valves.
- Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (CT, MRT) for heart examination. CT scan is necessary for an accurate assessment of the size and location of the tumor.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) have great importance in the diagnosis of secondary heart tumors and the assessing of a metastatic process.
- Coronary angiography is used in cases of coronary heart disease suspicion (mainly for the differential diagnosis).
- A biopsy of the heart tumor is a very difficult procedure. Surgeons and oncologists of "Herzliya Medical Center" Clinic solve the indications, the diagnostic value of biopsy, the possibility, and method of carrying out this procedure on an individual basis.
Treatment of heart tumors in the "Herzliya Medical Center"
After diagnostics of heart tumor, the possibility of radical removal of the tumor must be considered. The hospital "Herzliya Medical Center" carry out open heart surgery in cases of any severity. Unfortunately, the radical removal of the pathological process is only possible when the tumor is localized in the pericardium and is not invasive (not grow into the muscle layer). The main method of cardiac tumor treatment in Israel is chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The possibility of using biological, hormonal and targeted therapies depends on the histologic type of tumor. Great importance in the treatment of cancer also has a symptomatic treatment, aimed to compensate a heart failure. The thromboembolic complications prevention and pain management are also important.
Prognosis in patients with heart tumors
Nowadays, at the clinic "Herzliya Medical Center", the prognosis of cardiac cancer and tumors is quite favorable in most cases. Timely diagnosis and effective cancer treatment allow of obtaining a significant percentage of the healing, long-term remission, and long-term patients survival. Inoperable heart tumor types can be successful treated by the radiotherapy. In cases of metastatic forms, the prognosis depends on the histologic type and severity of secondary spread. In some cases, the surgical intervention aimed to remove the metastasis in the heart, can prevent severe hemodynamic complications and improve the efficiency of complex therapy.
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