Malignant Heart Disease

Tumors are growths that may occur on the heart or travel from other tissue and implant within heart cells. Tumors that originate on the heart muscle are called primary tumors, while tumors that metastasize from other areas of the body and implant on the heart are called secondary tumors. Primary tumors are categorized as benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Regardless of the tumor's categorization, a growth can lead to health issues by affecting the heart's function.

Angiosarcomas

• Angiosarcomas are a form of primary malignant tumor of the heart. Primary tumors that form in the heart are rare, but angiosarcomas account for 75% of heart tumor incidences. Angiosarcomas can form within ventricles, on the outer side of the heart, or within the muscle tissue cells. Most angiosarcomas occur in the right ventricle of the heart. The right ventricle is responsible for intake of blood from the veins, so a loss of function on this side of the heart leads to fluid buildup in the legs and feet. These tumors are dangerous, and they can lead to embolisms. Emboli are pieces from the tumors that clot areas of the body like the brain (causing a stroke) or the lungs.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of malignant heart disease depend on the area affected. Some patients have no symptoms while others have acute, life threatening conditions. Malignant tumors also mimic other diseases like hypertension, so symptoms may lead to a wrong diagnosis. Symptoms like heart palpitations, murmurs, arrhythmias and fluid retention are also symptoms of heart disease. If any of these symptoms occur, patients are advised to speak to their doctor.

Diagnosis

• Diagnosis of the disease starts with a visit to the physician's office. The doctor will listen to the heart using a stethoscope. The doctor also listens to the lungs to detect any fluid buildup. An EKG is ordered to observer the heartbeat. An EKG can detect poor pumping of the heart, and it can also detect whether or not the patient has had a heart attack. An MRI may also be used to take an image of the heart to detect enlargement.

Treatment

• Treatment for tumors require surgery to remove the affected area. Followup treatment is given through chemotherapy, radiation and drug therapy to treat side effects. The prognosis for malignant heart cancer patients is poor even after a successful surgical removal.

Primary Benign Tumors

• Although benign tumors are not cancerous, they may still obstruct blood flow and cause health problems. There are two types of primary tumors that are most often found in the heart. Rhabdomyomas are tumorous growths that appear when the patient is an infant or an early adolescent. These tumors grow in clusters inside the ventricle walls, blocking space for blood. Rhabdomyomas account for one fifth of heart tumors. Fibromas are tumors that grow on the valves of the ventricles. There are three heart valves: the tricuspid, mitral, and pulmonary valve. Growths on these tissues limit the valve's ability to open and shut tightly, limiting blood flow.