Heart Cancer

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 more frequently than primary heart cancers, although they 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 (Source:ACS).

Heart cancers can develop from any part of the heart. In adults, the most common 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.

Cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma is the second most common primary heart cancer in adults and the most common primary heart cancer in children. These tumors originate from muscle cells that have become cancerous. Rhabdomyosarcomas can develop anywhere in the heart but almost always involve at least a portion of the myocardium, the heart’s thick muscular layer. Less common types of primary heart tumors include cardiac liposarcomas, mesotheliomas, fibrosarcomas, fibrous histiocytomas and schwannomas.

Symptoms of heart cancer can resemble those of heart disease, such as chest pain, irregular heart rhythms, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Sometimes these symptoms develop suddenly. Radiation and chemotherapy can be used to help manage symptoms. Sometimes surgery may also help control symptoms, but this is performed only at specialized centers.

The sudden onset of heart failure may be the first symptom of heart cancer. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for serious symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure, rapid or irregular heart rate, rapid breathing, cold and clammy skin, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, changes in level of consciousness, loss of consciousness, or anxiety. Seek prompt medical care for sudden unexpected weight gain, fatigue, or swelling in the feet and ankles.