Cardiac Cancer

Excerpt

Cardiac tumors are uncommon and can be primary or metastatic. Primary cardiac tumors are rare, and the incidence is from 0.001 to 0.3% by autopsy. They can be classified into three clinicopathological groups: 1. benign congenital tumors; 2. benign acquired tumors; and 3. malignant tumors. Nearly 90% of primary cardiac tumors are benign. Myxoma is the most common primary tumor of the heart, accounting for slightly more than half of all primary cardiac tumors. Malignant cardiac tumors are rare and account for 10% of all primary cardiac neoplasms. They include sarcomas, especially angiosarcomas. Tumors that metastasize to the heart are much more common than primary cardiac tumors but are rarely surgically excised.