Heart cancer is a rare disease of the organ that affects the cavities of the chambers and the myocardium. Tumors of the heart: types, symptoms, diagnosis, principles of treatment

The heart muscle is not as often affected by malignant tumors as others internal organs. Perhaps the reason for this is that it feeds on blood better than the rest of the body. metabolic processes here they pass faster, which means that the defensive reaction is much stronger.

A tumor of the heart can have a primary form and a secondary one. The first group includes benign and malignant neoplasms. The second includes all metastasized cancer cells that approach the heart muscle through the lymphatic pathways and blood flow from the affected organs.

Types of tumors

According to the type of altered cellular structure of a heart tumor, there can be:

benign;
malignant.

Let's consider each type in more detail.

Benign tumor of the heart

This species is primary and originates in cardiac tissues. These include:

Myxoma - is a common type of cardiac tumors, detected in half of all diagnosed benign tumors. It is noted that the hereditary factor plays an important role in the predisposition to the occurrence of a tumor. The structure of the myxoma may be firm, mucoid, or loose. With a loose structure, tumors are most dangerous due to the fact that malignant degeneration of tissues is possible.
Papillary fibroelastoma. It is considered the second most common type of neoplasm. It is located on the valve papillae (usually aortic or mitral), prevents their full closure at the time of ventricular contraction. When the causes of valvular insufficiency are identified, it is often diagnosed. Fibroelastoma has a favorable prognosis, provided timely replacement of damaged valves.
Rhabdomyoma. Most often diagnosed in childhood, located in causes a violation of the conduction of the myocardium. Symptoms of a heart tumor of this type are the appearance of blockades on the ECG and a violation of the heart rhythm. If the rhabdomyoma is located near the sinus node, then severe rhythm disturbances are not ruled out, and cardiac arrest may even occur.
Fibroma. In most cases, it is detected in childhood, it is a tumor process in the connective tissue. Can lead to stenosis of the opening between the ventricle and the atrium or to deformation of the valve. Sometimes with external localization on the pericardium, pericarditis is possible. The classification of heart tumors does not end there.
Hemangioma. It is extremely rare and does not cause changes in the work of the heart. Only if it grows sinus node, then a failure of the heart rhythm is possible, in severe cases - a fatal outcome.
Lipoma. It can be found in any part of the myocardium. It does not show itself at all at small sizes. Depending on the location of the localization, a strongly overgrown lipoma provokes various heart failures. It is not excluded degeneration into liposarcoma.

Intrapericardial tumor is less common than other localizations. Most often, this tumor is located in the right ventricle of the heart.

Any tumor of the heart, if it is benign, develops in rare cases and is detected before serious disorders in the myocardium. Severe heart failure or cardiac arrest is possible only if a person ignores the symptoms that have arisen for a long time. This cannot be allowed, so you should visit doctors in a timely manner and undergo a comprehensive examination by cardiologists.

Malignant tumors

These neoplasms are extremely dangerous. Tumor of the heart in the primary form is extremely rare. As a rule, a malignant process develops during metastasis. The nature cancer cells it could be:

angiosarcoma (similar to the vascular epithelium in structure);
rhabdomyosarcoma (cancer in the striated muscle, sometimes grows through the entire myocardium, causes symptoms of a heart attack)
fibrous cancerous histiocytoma (jelly-like oncology, characterized in that it grows into the surrounding tissues);
liposarcorm.

Other cancerous tumors are also possible, having a similar structure to the organ from which metastasis originated.

Metastases often affect the pericardial region, less often they occur in other parts of the myocardium. The manifestation of signs of heart damage depends on localization.

Causes of a malignant tumor of the heart

It is characterized by the following symptoms:

severe shortness of breath;
inflammation of the pericardium in acute form;
arrhythmic phenomena;
sharply on x-ray;
systole murmurs.

Symptoms and x-rays are not all diagnostic methods that are used to detect heart cancer. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the heart muscle are also used. Echocardiogram indicators are used additionally.

Most often, time is missed and an already serious stage of heart sarcoma with metastases to nearby organs, mainly the lungs and the brain, is diagnosed.

What is the treatment for a heart tumor?

Therapy Methods

In medical statistics, there is no information about the practical cure for a malignant tumor of the heart. Only palliative therapy remains.

Due to the complete damage to the organ and the developing process of metastasis, surgical intervention is excluded. Patients are prescribed chemotherapy and radiation, which will somewhat alleviate the patient's condition. There are also surgeries for heart tumors.

Treatment will have results if preventive measures are carried out, if doctors are consulted in time, examined and therapy is started on early stages disease development.

Need to work on strengthening immune system, because it is able to protect the body from many diseases.

Cancer cells are not brought into the body from the outside, but they are actively formed from their own cells and have a huge aggressive force of an aggressive attack on healthy cells. Immune cells receive information about foreign structures that is in transfer factors.

If these cells are small in number, the immune structures will not have sufficient information about the danger that has come. And the new cells of the immune system do not know what to do and what to protect against.

Surgery

How is a heart tumor removed? Before non-invasive cardiac imaging was developed, valvular disease was considered an indication for surgery. Since the diagnosis was uninformative.

Now, thanks to ultrasound, not a single patient with a mass in the heart has been operated on without imaging. With the help of CT and MRI, data are obtained on the characteristics of tissues and the spread of infiltration.

Medial sternotomy is a typical approach to benign tumors. At the same time, extracorporeal circulation with two-cavity drainage is connected. Calm manipulations are recommended for cardiac surgery due to the fact that most intracavitary cardiac tumors are fragile. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is used, which allows you to determine what localization the tumor has, open the cavities of the heart, direct the cannula, and monitor the integrity of the tumor during surgery. A wide surgical approach is an indispensable condition for resection with one block of the tumor. The aspirated blood surrounding the tumor does not return to the extracorporeal circulation. This is necessary to prevent possible dissemination of malignant cells.

Forecast

The prognosis of the disease depends on the type of cells and the extent to which the surgical intervention was performed:

The life expectancy of cancer patients is on average from two to seven years (this is influenced by the rate of metastasis of the body and the location of new metastases).
The prognosis is influenced by donor-recipient compatibility during implantation or implantation of a donor heart. If conditions are favorable, then such patients live no more than ten years.
With benign formations and their removal, the prognosis is favorable, in 95% of cases a stable remission is observed if you follow the regular intake of supportive medications and medical recommendations.

If the treatment is symptomatic, then the patient will have to live from seven months to two years.

Unfortunately, heart tumors are diagnosed late, when they are already present. serious violations in the organ. But even if a person has been diagnosed with heart cancer, then you should not give in to despair. Survival statistics are approximate, and patients with strict adherence to medical recommendations after removal of a heart tumor can live longer than the years indicated in the prognosis.

Tumors of the heart is a concept that includes a number of pathological formations in this organ. They are different in structure and origin.

Neoplasms are formed from the tissues and membranes of the organ and affect a person regardless of age and gender. This pathology is also diagnosed in utero in the fetus at the sixteenth week.

Tumors of the heart are:

primary;
secondary (metastatic).

Primary ones are not more common than 0.2%, but tumors that have sprouted as a result of the spread of metastases affect the heart thirty times more actively.

Such heart diseases pose a serious threat to human life. They can cause a number of health problems.

Classification of pathological seals in the heart

As already indicated, tumors in the heart are divided into primary and secondary. It is quite difficult to name the true source that provokes the appearance of primary tumors, but the appearance of metastatic neoplasms is caused by the progressive stages of cancer of other organs.

Distinguished by nature. The percentage of diagnosing these pathologies is 75 and 25, respectively.

Cancers are also divided into:

primary;
metastatic.

Medical classification distinguishes between tumors and their origin.

A benign tumor of the heart is of the following types:

myxoma of the heart (diagnosed in 8 out of 10 cases);
teratoma;
rhabdomyoma;
fibroma;
hemangioma;
paraglioma and others.

A malignant neoplasm of the heart is represented by sarcomas, pericardial masothelioma, and lymphomas.

There are also pseudotumors in the heart, which are thrombus formations with inflammatory processes.

Extracardiac tumors of the mediastinum and pericardium are also diagnosed, which compress the heart and disrupt the normal functioning of its left and right ventricles.

Primary tumors of the heart of a benign nature have the following etymology. Among the variety of tumors, myxoma is predominantly found. This type of tumor primarily affects the female body. Myxoma is localized mainly in the left atrium. They have a diverse morphological structure. Loose tumors are the most dangerous.

After myxoma, papillary fibroelastoma is second in frequency of diagnosis. It grows in the aortic and mitral valve. In structure, they resemble avascular papillomas with branches and a stalk.

Rhabdomyomas, benign tumors that affect children's body. The cardiac organ is permeated with multiple formations - rhabdomyomas, which damage the septum or wall of the left ventricle and disrupt the conduction system of the heart. Provokes tachycardia, arrhythmia, heart failure.

Fibromas are also among childhood tumors. They preferentially grow into the valves and the conduction system. Fibromas provoke mechanical obstruction, which leads to false valvular stenosis and heart failure.

Less common include hemangiomas and pheochromocytomas. Pathological formations of the heart of this type are found in ten cases out of a hundred. There are no symptoms when they appear, so they are most often diagnosed during professional examinations. Rarely, as hemangiomas grow, they can lead to atrioventricular obstruction. If the tumor has grown into the atrium of the ventricle, there may be an immediate fatal outcome.

Pheochromocytomas are benign neoplasms of the heart that are related to intrapericardial and myocardial localization. The symptoms of the disease are almost not expressed, but under certain conditions they contribute to squeezing the organs. chest.

To malignant neoplasms of the heart include sarcomas and lymphomas, which have their own subspecies.

The most common are sarcomas. They affect most people at a young age. Sarcomas are localized in the left atrium and cause a number of complications.

Lymphomas are primary tumors, this type is especially rapidly progressing.

Malignant neoplasms of the heart lead to serious consequences.

Symptoms of heart tumors

Neoplasms in the heart organ, depending on their type, nature, structure and stage of development, cause certain symptoms in the body.

Localization of the tumor outside the heart provokes the occurrence of:

elevated body temperature;
chills
weight loss;
arthralgia;
rash.

When the neoplasm compresses the chamber of the heart and the coronary arteries, it appears:

breathing problems;
pain in the chest;
bleeding;

These symptoms lead to cardiac tamponade.

Neoplasms that are in the conduction system lead to the appearance of paroxysmal tachycardia and blockades.

Tumors located inside the heart disrupt the normal functioning of the valves and prevent the outflow of blood from the heart chambers. With this pathology, symptoms of heart failure are observed.

As the first bells about the presence of pathological seals in the heart, regardless of its nature, it is considered to be:

vascular thromboembolism;
embolism pulmonary artery;
cerebral ischemia;
stroke;
myocardial infarction.

Diagnosis of the heart for the presence of neoplasms (ultrasound, MRI, MSCT and others)

Examining the heart is not an easy task. Due to the huge number of varieties of tumor inclusions, as well as their locations, in order to establish an accurate diagnosis and obtain an extensive picture of the disease, extensive diagnostics of the organ using various methods is necessary.

If a tumor is suspected, the first thing to do is an ultrasound of the heart. This procedure allows the most likely to determine the compaction. There are two types of ultrasound diagnostics: transesophageal ultrasound - for examining the atrium and transtoral ultrasound - the study of the left and right ventricle.

If the ultrasound data is not complete, then an examination by MRI and MSCT is prescribed, plus radioisotope scanning and sounding of the heart are performed. Ventriculography is also sometimes used.

To study the nature of the tumor, even if the ultrasound accurately determined its presence and origin, a biopsy is performed. For this, catherization or trial thoracotomy is performed. Also, for histology, fluid from the pericardium obtained as a result of a puncture can be used.

The reasons why tumors form in the heart are not fully understood, so today it is impossible to talk about them. But some regularities are still studied and it is possible to identify those factors that can cause pathological changes in cells at the gene level, which lead to their random division and the appearance of tumors. Among them:

large body weight;
adverse effects of harmful substances;
wrong way of life;
bad habits (smoking, alcoholism);
infectious diseases;
cancer metastases from other primary sites in other organs.

Treatment of neoplasms of the heart

Only after a complete examination and the establishment of an accurate diagnosis, the treatment is determined that will have the maximum effect and minimal risk of complications. It must be said that malignant tumors have completely different tactics and methods than a malignant tumor. Treatment is based on:

surgical intervention (removal of the primary tumor);
radiation therapy and its latest techniques: brachytherapy and gamma knife;
chemotherapy.

Let us also denote that if a tumor in the heart contains cancer cells, then only surgical intervention will be extremely insufficient. Oncology needs complex treatment. Let us consider more broadly the issues of oncological pathologies in the heart.

Heart cancer is a fairly rare disease. For the most part, it does not damage the heart muscle, since it is actively supplied with blood. It is too difficult to determine cancer, since it proceeds for a long time without any particular symptoms. Therefore, it is mostly detected at a later date or after death.

Cancer is primary and secondary. A malignant primary tumor (sarcoma, angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and others) develops quite quickly and migrates to the lymph nodes, lungs, and brain.

Secondary heart tumors arise as a result of metastasis of malignant tumors of other organs. This type of cancer is much more common than primary neoplasms. Ten out of a hundred cancer patients have metastases in the heart. The first localization of a metastatic tumor occurs in the pericardium of the heart.

Symptoms of a cancerous tumor appear depending on its location and stage of development. If it does not penetrate into the myocardium, then the pathogenic neoplasm remains undetected for a long time and continues to increase in size. In the later stages, there is an increase in temperature, joints begin to hurt, weakness appears, numbness of the limbs, a rash on the body, and weight loss. Laboratory research note pathological changes in the composition of the blood.

A malignant tumor not only in the myocardium, but also outside it, is growing at a rapid pace. It causes arrhythmia, disrupts conduction, pain in the chest is felt almost constantly, the heart enlarges. Acute heart failure can lead to sudden death.

The appearance of the following symptoms should alert and serve as a call to undergo a full examination:

pain in the chest area;
swelling of the face and hands;
dyspnea;
accumulation of fluid in the lungs;
arrhythmia;
weight loss of the fingers and their thickening at the tips;
dizziness, loss of consciousness.

Heart cancer is tricky enough. First of all, in diagnosis, secondly, in rapid development, and thirdly, in treatment.

At the initial stage, a malignant tumor does not reveal itself for a long time, therefore, in most cases, it is detected in the later stages with the help of ultrasound, when the cancer began to actively spread metastases. The prognosis for diagnosing heart cancer depends on the stage of the disease at which the treatment was carried out.

Diagnosis of a malignant tumor is performed using ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, radioisotope ventriculography, angiocardiography, echocardiography.

Ultrasound allows you to examine the state of the heart muscle, atrium and left and right ventricles. This method gives full information about the presence of tumor formation in the organ. In addition to ultrasound, other methods of examination are also used.

Treatment of heart cancer, due to late detection, is rather palliative. In most cases, it is already quite late to do the operation, so measures are being taken to reduce symptoms and improve the general condition of the patient.

Surgical treatment is used only in the first stages. In this case, the tumor is removed, but only if it has a primary nature of origin. Such radical treatment still no warranty. In four out of ten people, the cancer returns again within the first two years after surgery.

Treatment of cardiac oncology involves an integrated approach. It includes the use of chemotherapy and radiation. To eliminate the pathologies that have arisen as a result of the development of the tumor, apply symptomatic treatment. A course of maintenance and rehabilitation therapy is mandatory. The use of medications is selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.

Despite the fact that the prognosis for oncological neoplasms is very unfavorable, complex therapy can extend the life of the patient by five or more years.

If timely therapy is not started, then cancer will quickly “eat” a person. The prognosis for the development of the disease, after the manifestation of symptoms of oncology, is unfavorable. In less than a year, death occurs.

Description:

The heart, like any other organ in our body, also has tumors. Tumors of the heart are a very rare disease, but they have their place among all diseases. cardiovascular systems.

The rarity of cardiac tumors is explained by the fact that the heart, like no other organ of our body, is well supplied with blood.

Its main function is to contract, to act as a "pump" in the body, which constantly pumps large volumes of blood through itself. The blood in the heart never stagnates and is constantly renewed, which is its advantage over other organs. The heart is rapidly metabolized, which significantly reduces its chances of developing tumors.

Causes of heart tumors:

The causes of heart tumors have not been established.

Symptoms of heart tumors:

Classification of tumors of the heart.
Distinguish between primary and secondary tumors of the heart. They are both benign and malignant.

Primary tumors develop on their own. Secondary tumors of the heart are metastases, breast, stomach and kidneys. They occur 20 times more often than primary ones. This is due to the greater prevalence of diseases of other organs and the frequency of their metastasis.

Benign tumors are twice as common as malignant ones. Tumors of the heart are treated surgically, if for some reason this is not possible, chemotherapy is performed.

Primary tumors of the heart.

Benign tumors of the heart.

Symptoms of a heart tumor

The manifestations of a heart tumor are very similar to the symptoms of the most common heart diseases and therefore, they exist in the body for a long time under a “foreign mask”.

The patient may have a slight increase in body temperature for a long time, weakness, pain in the joints, weight loss, numbness of the fingers, which quite often and for a long time leads doctors “by the nose”, confusing when making the correct diagnosis, because such symptoms found in many other heart diseases.

Complaints depend on the part of the heart where the tumor is located.

If it is located in the thickness of the heart muscle, various heart rhythm disturbances may appear - and later the heart increases in size and develops, which is manifested by shortness of breath, weakness, swelling in the legs and accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

Sarcoma of the heart is a rare type of cancer that is found mainly in young people ( average age is 40 years). The prognosis for this tumor is disappointing - most patients die within a year. What is the reason for these statistics?

Sarcoma of the heart

Primary heart tumors are very rare (up to 0.5% of all types). Among them, 75% are benign, and only 25% are malignant, of which the majority are sarcomas. Sarcomas are oncological tumors originating from connective tissue.

They may occur:

on the outer surface of the heart;
inside the chambers (atria);
from muscle tissue.

Primary cardiac sarcoma develops directly from the tissues of the heart, but there are also secondary lesions of the heart with metastases from other organs. They appear the same.

Metastases in the heart and pericardium are 30 times more common than primary tumors. According to experts, 25% of patients who died from metastatic soft tissue sarcoma had cardiac metastases.

Primary cardiac sarcomas are aggressive tumors that usually do not cause symptoms until they have spread locally. Therefore, the success of treatment and the prognosis for the disease is very poor.

Fact! In addition to sarcoma, it occurs, represented mainly by adenocarcinoma.

Causes of sarcoma of the heart

The causes of heart sarcoma are unknown, but according to scientists, the following factors may affect its occurrence:

radiation;
atherosclerosis;
genetic abnormalities;
injury.

There is no 100% evidence for these factors, so nothing can be done to prevent the disease, except for periodic visits to the doctor.

Classification: types, types, forms

According to the localization of the oncological process, 2 types of heart sarcomas are distinguished:

Sarcomas of the right side of the heart. As a rule, they have a large size and an infiltrative type of growth. They form distant and regional metastases outside the organ earlier.

Sarcomas of the left heart (left ventricle or atrium) have a solid type of growth. They metastasize later, but are often complicated by heart failure.

In the heart, there are such histological types as schwannoma.

Angiosarcomas the most common of them. They originate from the cells in the walls of blood vessels. In 80% of cases, angiosarcomas occur in the right atrium, and as they grow, they completely replace the atrial wall and fill the entire heart chamber, and can also invade adjacent structures (eg, vena cava, tricuspid valve). The development of the disease and death occur very quickly.

Rhabdomyosarcoma- the second most common primary cardiac sarcoma, which is the most common cardiac sarcoma in children. She does not have a favorite place of localization, she can affect any part of the heart. Occasionally, pericardial metastases are seen.

Leiomyosarcoma. Damages muscle fibers. It can occur in the vessels (superior vena cava, pulmonary artery, aorta) or in the cavities of the heart. In half of the cases they are located in the left atrium.

Mesothelioma usually originate in the visceral or parietal pericardium and may spread around the heart, compressing it. They do not invade the myocardium, but may involve the pleura or diaphragm, as mesothelioma is prone to extensive regional metastasis.

fibrosarcoma. This tumor has an infiltrative type of growth. She has no predisposition to a particular age or heart chamber. However, valvular artery involvement was observed in 50% of cases.

Malignant schwannoma- a rare type of heart cancer, originating from the tissue of peripheral nerves.

Stages and degree of malignancy of cardiac sarcoma

Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor decide which treatment is best and give a rough prognosis for the patient's survival. To determine the stage of sarcoma, diagnostic tests are used that specify the size and prevalence of the neoplasm at the local level and throughout the body.

These data are expressed in the following terms:

T1 Tumor size 5 cm or less:

T1a - superficial tumor;
T1b - the tumor is deep.

T2 - the size of the neoplasm exceeds 5 cm:

T2a (superficial sarcoma);
T2b (deep).

N0 - Cancer has not spread to regional lymph nodes.
N1 - the tumor has spread to regional lymph nodes.
M0 - no metastases.
M1 - there are metastases in another part of the body.

After a biopsy, they recognize the degree (indicated by the letter G), which also affects the stage. There are 3 grades for sarcoma: G1, G2 and G3.

They depend on such factors:

how different cancer cells are compared to cells of healthy tissue under a microscope;
what is the rate of cell division;
how many of them die.

The lower the combined score for these 3 factors, the lower the grade, meaning that the tumor is less aggressive and the patient's prognosis is better.

According to the listed parameters, the following stages of sarcoma are distinguished:

1 stage:

IA: T1a or T1b, N0, M0, G1;
IB: T2a or T2b, N0, M0, G1.

2 stage:

IIA: T1a or T1b, N0, M0, G2 or G3;
IIB: T2a or T2b, N0, M0, G2.

3 stage:

IIIA: T2a or T2b, N0, M0, G3;
IIIB: any T, N1, M0, any G.

Stage 4 heart sarcoma has the following indicators: any T, any N, M1 and any G.

Symptoms and signs of cardiac sarcoma

Symptoms of cardiac sarcoma depend on the location of the pathological focus. Most of them develop in the right atrium, preventing the inflow or outflow of blood.

This can cause symptoms such as:

swelling of the feet, legs, or abdomen;
swelling of the neck veins.

Angiosarcoma of the pericardium causes an increase in the amount of fluid inside the pericardium (effusion). This can affect the functioning of the heart, which is accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and general weakness. Ultimately, heart failure develops.

With myocardial involvement, arrhythmia and heart block often occur. The tumor can lead to angina pectoris, heart failure, heart attack.

Other symptoms of cardiac sarcoma:

hemoptysis;
violation of the heart rhythm;
dysphonia;
superior vena cava syndrome;
swelling of the face;
fever;
weight loss;
night sweats;
malaise.

An embolism can become a rare manifestation of cardiac sarcoma. This happens when pieces break off from the tumor and enter the bloodstream. They can cut off blood flow to an organ or part of the body, causing dysfunction and pain. For example, emboli that enter the brain cause stroke, and those that enter the lungs cause respiratory distress.

Diagnosis of the disease

Methods for diagnosing cardiac sarcoma vary depending on the symptoms present.

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, the doctor may order the following procedures:

Echocardiogram (also known as Echo). This is a non-invasive test that uses sound waves to study the movement of the heart's chambers and valves. Echocardiography is the most useful tool in diagnosing cardiac pathologies, it allows the doctor to determine the exact size and location of the tumor. More detailed pictures of the heart can be obtained using transesophageal echocardiography.
Electrocardiogram (ECG). This test registers electrical activity heart and shows abnormal rhythms as well as damage to the heart muscle. As a rule, on the ECG there are signs such as right ventricular hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia.
Computed tomography (CT). A diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce horizontal or axial images (often called slices) of the body. A CT scan provides detailed images of any part of the body. It is used to clarify the size, location of the tumor, as well as its metastases.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This procedure uses a combination of large magnets and a computer to obtain detailed images of the organs and structures of the body. MRI can be used if you need to clarify some details that are not visible on CT and Echo.
Chest x-ray (used to detect heart enlargement, pleural effusion, heart failure, and other abnormalities).
Biopsy (removal of a small amount of tumor tissue for examination under a microscope). A biopsy is the only way to know for sure the type and malignancy of a tumor.

Treatment of cardiac sarcoma

The type of treatment for cardiac sarcoma largely depends on its location and size, as well as the degree of metastasis. If possible, the tumor is subjected to surgical resection. Together with it, the affected part of the organ is removed, and then reconstruction is carried out using the pig's pericardium, synthetic materials or prostheses.

Due to the fact that oncology is often detected in the later stages, the possibilities of surgery are limited. Complete resection is possible in 55% of cases when the neoplasm is limited to the atrial septum, a small part of the ventricle or valve.

Partial removal of the sarcoma does not cure the disease, but it is used to relieve symptoms or confirm the diagnosis (biopsy). Mortality during surgery for cardiac sarcoma is high, although acceptable - about 8.3%.

Currently, many centers use the endoscopic method of removing tumors from the left atrium, which gives good results. Usually, these operations are not preceded by a biopsy and a histological assessment of malignancy, but do it after.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy

Due to the rarity of these tumors and the lack of extensive research, there is no single approach to treating patients, and the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are unclear.

Many researchers emphasize the superiority combination therapy, which helps to achieve twice the life expectancy (median survival was 24 months compared to 10 months). But this can only be achieved in patients with primary radical resection.

Other sources indicate that the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is advisable in the treatment of right heart sarcomas, since it allows to reduce the size of the neoplasm and increase the likelihood of total resection.

Due to the fact that pathologies of the left heart often lead to heart failure, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is contraindicated for them. In such situations, it is better to perform a complete surgical resection, but this anatomical location makes the operation extremely difficult. Therefore, it should be carried out by highly qualified doctors.

The role of radiotherapy also remains unproven, although it has been used to treat residual tumor (after partial resection), as well as for local or distant recurrences.

In the presence of multiple metastases, chemotherapy and radiation help to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and improve the patient's quality of life.

Other treatments

The modern approach to the treatment of sarcoma involves the use of targeted (targeted) therapy. It includes anti-angiogenic drugs that can inhibit the amount of angiogenic proteins: Sunitinib, Sorafenib. Targeted therapy is particularly effective in tumors of vascular etiology, such as angiosarcoma. Targeted drugs lead to a decrease in the volume of the neoplasm and stop its growth. They can be combined with cytostatics.

For extensive lesions that cannot be completely removed, a heart transplant is suggested. After such an operation, the patient must receive immunosuppressants (drugs that help prevent the rejection of foreign tissue), and these can stimulate new growth of the sarcoma. Therefore, the technique of autotransplantation is now actively developing.

Autotransplantation is surgical procedure, in which the patient's own heart is removed, after which the tumor is excised from it. During the operation, the patient is placed on a heart-lung machine. After removal of the sarcoma, the heart is returned to its place. This does not require the subsequent appointment of immunosuppressants.

Metastases and recurrence

Up to 80% of patients at the time of diagnosis have metastases of cardiac sarcoma (often in the lungs). New foci of the disease can occur even after the radical removal of the neoplasm.

Due to frequent relapses, such a low survival rate of patients is observed. The highest risk of disease progression was noted in the first 2 years after surgery. For the treatment of relapses of cardiac sarcoma, radiation therapy with a total focal dose of not more than 65 g, targeted, as well as non-adjuvant chemotherapy is used.

It is noteworthy that not distant metastases, but local progression, has long been recognized as the main cause of death in patients.

How long do patients with cardiac sarcoma live?

The prognosis for cardiac sarcoma depends on the completeness of surgical resection, the location of the tumor and its histological type, and the degree of myocardial involvement.

One study found that the median survival after radical surgery was 24 months, compared with 10 months for patients with partial tumor removal.

A case has been reported of a long-term survival of 10 years after complete removal of the left atrial rhabdomyosarcoma.

Factors that improve survival are:

sarcoma of the left-sided type;
mitotic rate less than 10 in a high power field;
no necrosis on histology.

Most patients eventually die from metastases or heart failure.

Informative video:

A rare disease that is often diagnosed after the death of a patient. It must be remembered that a healthy lifestyle, a positive attitude will help strengthen the body's immunity - the main internal doctor that prevents failures leading to the formation of heart cancer.

Concept and statistics

Cancer of the heart can mean a tumor formation inside the chambers, it can also be a lesion of the muscle of the organ.

Myocardial cancer can go unnoticed for a long time, masquerading as others.

Symptoms of the disease begin to cause concern to the patient when metastases are detected.

Pathology is rare. This is due to the activity that is due to functional purpose chambers and other structural components of the heart. Blood circulation and metabolism in tissues are usually at a high level.

Types of heart tumors

Pathology has different manifestations, locations, is based on different tissues.

Primary tumors- pathology formed in the heart; has a variety of forms, depending on the cells of which tissues fell ill with atypia and launched the oncological process.
Secondary tumors- Cancer damage to neighboring organs or those located more distant from the heart has delegated its presence to its area.

Primary formations make up a fourth of all cancers of the heart. They come in different forms:

Sarcoma is a common type of tumor
- rare in the heart area.

Sarcoma is more common in middle-aged people. The right departments are subject to tumor processes to a greater extent than the left side.

Sarcoma is dangerous by the rapid growth of the tumor body. Abnormal cells can grow through the tissues of the heart and affect neighboring organs. Valves, vessels that occur along the path of pathology are damaged to varying degrees by a growing tumor.

Sarcomas also have several subspecies:

Liposarcoma - occurs in adulthood and refers to rare cases. The tumor body is made up of lipoblasts. Liposarcoma is located in the cavity of the heart and has an outward resemblance to myxoma. The formation is able to create a massive body, the color of which is usually yellowish. The tumor has a soft texture. This type of pathology is responsive to medical procedures.
- originates in muscle tissue. The tumor is a soft to the touch formation of white color. If we examine the knot in a microscope, then cells of several types of forms are found in its composition:
- fusiform,
- round,
- oval
- and others.
This type of pathology occurs infrequently. V total number primary tumors rhabdomyosarcoma occurs in every fifth patient. Men have this type of heart tumor somewhat more often than women.
- makes up one tenth of primary tumors. It is a formation with clear boundaries of a grayish-white color. The node has collagen fibers and fibroblast-like cells with varying degrees of differentiation.
Angiosarcoma - according to statistics, this type occupies a third of all primary tumors of the heart. It affects more often men. Education has a bumpy structure of a dense constitution. This type of tumor is characterized by the presence of vascular cavities in the body of the formation, which have different shapes and sizes.

Photo of heart cancer

Tumors in the region of the heart of secondary origin are much more common. They can appear as a result of oncological processes in the following organs:

stomach
breast,
kidneys
thyroid,
lungs.

The spread of cancer cells occurs through the lymph as well as through the circulatory system. Cancer tissue enters the heart, growing into the organ.

Causes

To date, science does not know the exact causes of cancer in the heart.

Primary formations can be triggered by the following phenomena:

myxoma rebirth ( benign tumor), which, in turn, may occur after surgery on the organ;
as a result of toxic effects,
be the result of an infectious disease
due to the harmful effects caused by and.

Secondary oncological tumors arise as a result of the spread of oncology, which has developed in other organs, beyond them. Metastases can grow into the region of the heart from nearby organs and those located more remotely.

Symptoms of heart cancer

The following signs indicate a possible cancerous lesion of the heart:

the appearance of pain in the chest,
dyspnea,
symptoms of oppression of the vena cava,
enlarged chambers of the heart
fever,
violation of rhythms in the work of the heart,
fast fatiguability,
hemorrhagic effusion is found in the pericardium,
swelling of the muscles of the face,
disturbances in the conduction system,
tamponade,
significant weight loss
sudden death.

Stages of development

The prognosis and tactics of treatment depend on the extent to which a cancerous tumor has developed.

There are four stages:

The appearance of altered cells, which were the result of damage to DNA cells and their subsequent random division. Such a violation is referred to the first stage.
The formation of an oncological formation at the site of the appearance of atypical cells is the second stage of the disease.
The spread of the disease to other organs with the flow of lymph or through the blood. The germination of a cancerous tumor outside the heart - metastases are referred to as the third stage of the disease.
The primary focus is in a state of exacerbation. At the same time, the appearance of new pathological formations in other places is observed. The development of the oncological process to such an extent is defined as the fourth stage of the disease.

Diagnostics

Cancer of the heart is difficult to determine. This is due to the fact that its manifestations are similar to other heart diseases. Therefore, several methods are used to diagnose the problem.

ECG - informative check that shows if there are irregularities in the rhythms of the heartbeat. You can also get information about the state of the conduction function.
MRI - will show the condition of the chambers of the heart and surrounding tissues and organs. The CT will also add detailed information, including violations in hard tissue. These methods are necessary if a controversial issue occurs.
EchoCG - one of the main methods for clarification:
- location of the cancer
- determining the size of the tumor
- clarification of the issue of the presence of fluid in the pericardial area.
Laboratory research:
- to clarify the diagnosis, a biopsy study is performed,
- taking blood for clinical analysis and biochemical research,
- tumor markers.

Heart Cancer Treatment

On the initial stages heart cancer is most often not detected. By the beginning of the treatment process, the tumor may have many metastases to other organs. Therefore, surgery is not done in most cases.

The main methods of treatment:

chemotherapy,
irradiation,
maintenance therapy.

Procedures allow:

slow down the development of pathology,
reduce metastasis,
improve the patient's quality of life.

How many live with him?

If heart cancer is detected before the appearance of metastases, then it is possible to extend the life of the patient up to five full years. In advanced cases, the patient dies within a year from the moment the pathology is diagnosed, despite the ongoing treatment.

If the tumor is removed by surgery, a new cancerous tumor may form within two years.