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Malignant Coronary Heart Disease

While coronary heart disease (CHD) is quite common, cancer of the heart, known as malignant CHD, is rare. A more specific form of the illness is malignant coronary artery disease, which affects blood flow due to narrowing of blood vessels.

  1. Heart Disease

    • The term "heart disease" broadly refers to many illnesses that affect the heart. Cardiovascular disease is the most common form of CHD and is characterized by blocked arteries limiting blood flow to the brain.

    Definition of Malignant

    • Malignant, or cancerous, tumors normally begin in the soft tissue of the body and spread to the heart. Most tumors found in the heart are benign, which means non-cancerous.

    Sarcomas

    • Sarcomas are malignant tumors that grow and spread in soft tissues such as joints, muscles and tendons. Approximately 20 percent of sarcomas occur in the abdomen or chest.

    Diagnosis

    • Heart tumors are difficult to diagnose since they can be mistaken for other health issues. Echocardiograms are often used to take pictures of heart structures, and if a tumor is detected a biopsy may be taken using a microscope.

    Statistics

    • CHD is the top cause of death for men and women in the U.S. and is responsible for more deaths than all cancers combined. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smokers are two to four times as likely to develop CHD.

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