Tumors are often discovered by chance during a cardiac ultrasound or in the event of suggestive symptoms.
We know about colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer… but can we have heart cancer? This vital organ can he also be concerned by the development of cancer cells ? Professor Gérard Helft, cardiologist and President of the French Federation of Cardiology, answered our questions.
Can you get heart cancer?
Yes, it is possible, although heart tumors are very rare. “In his career, the cardiologist encounters few. In cardiac surgery centers, they represent less than 1% of interventions. Less than‘one in 2,000 people develops heart tumors and 3/4 of heart tumors are not cancerous“, specifies Professor Helft.
Why is it so rare?
“We don’t really know how to answer this question. Cancers are clumps of cells which multiply in an abnormal and anarchic manner, creating a malignant tumor, and the fact is that heart cells are less subject to this disruption“, replies our interlocutor.
Cancerous heart tumors are very rare. The majority of tumors are therefore benign. “The most common benign heart tumor is called a “cardiac myxoma” which develops from embryonic residues. In the vast majority of cases, the myxoma is in the left atrium and it is often discovered by chance. Once diagnosed, its standard treatment is surgery (myxoma resection) because the risk is that the tumor stuck at the level of the mitral valve (editor’s note: the mitral valve is located on the left side of the heart, between the left ventricle and the left atrium),” explains Professor Helft.
What symptoms can it cause?
A heart tumor may be discovered in the event of heart symptomsFor example :
- Palpitations
- Heart failure
- Heart rhythm disturbances
“But the idea is not to scare all the people who have heart symptoms, because let us emphasize, heart cancer is really rare“, would like to add our interlocutor.
What are the causes of the development of heart tumors?
A cardiac tumor is rarely primary. “The majority of malignant cardiac tumors are metastases, in other words tumors secondary to an initial cancer, most often to lung, breast or kidney cancer. But even if a patient has breast or kidney cancer for example, the heart is not a frequent location of metastases“, reports Professor Helft. This is not at all systematic research by the oncologist.
Most often, heart tumors are discovered in a fortuitous manner on the occasion of a Echocardiography. Often, we realize a CT scan or MRI in addition. Biopsy is usually not performed because imaging is sufficient to distinguish benign from malignant tumors. The cardiologist then sends his patient to a cardiac surgery department to implement treatment.
► If the heart tumor is primary (rarely), treatment includes excision of the tumor if possible supplemented as appropriate by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy,
► If the heart tumor is secondary to another cancer (metastases), which is the most common case, treatment depends on the original tumor. It may consist of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, possibly surgery. “It’s case by case“summarizes the expert.
What is the life expectancy for heart tumors?
Difficult to answer as life expectancy depends on numerous parameters such as the extent and stage of the initial tumor, the number of metastases, the patient’s age, their history, etc. Generally speaking, the presence of metastases is linked to a poorer prognosis. “But because most heart tumors are benign, they are usually removed in an operation and life expectancy is not changed.“, concludes Professor Helft.
Thanks to Professor Gérard HELFT, cardiologist and President of the French Federation of Cardiology.