Heart Tumors

We diagnose (classify) heart tumors based on the way they grow. If they start in your heart, they’re primary tumors. If they spread to your heart from another part of your body, they’re secondary (metastatic) ones.

Primary heart tumors

It’s important to remember that at least 75% and up to 95% of primary cardiac tumors aren’t cancerous. But even if they’re not, they can still affect how your heart works or cause other complications. Some of the most common noncancerous ones are:

• Myxoma: Usually develops in the left atrium, one of your upper heart chambers.
• Papillary fibroelastoma: Grows on your heart valves — usually the aortic valve.
• Lipoma: Can grow in any chamber of your heart, but most often in the wall that separates your heart’s top chambers (atrial septum).

Cancerous primary heart tumors in adults are most often angiosarcomas. These typically grow in the lining of blood vessels (like the aorta or pulmonary artery), within any of the chambers of your heart or from the protective sac around your heart (pericardium). Less common tumors include malignant fibrous histiocytomas and lymphoma. These are extremely rare in the heart.

Some cardiac tumors may be cancerous or benign, like:

• Mesothelioma: Cancerous when it develops in your pericardium. Benign if it’s in the atrioventricular node in your heart’s electrical system.
• Paraganglioma: Develops inside blood vessels at the base of your heart. Often considered cancer when it’s spread to nearby tissues or to other areas like your lungs or bone (metastasized) or if it’s come back after treatment (recurred).

Secondary heart tumors

Also known as metastatic tumors, these growths may spread to your heart from cancer in other parts of your body. You may have tumors from kidney, lung or breast cancer, skin cancer (melanoma) or other cancers that have moved to your heart.

Some heart tumors don’t have symptoms. Others may leave you feeling tired, dizzy or short of breath. They may cause chest pain or heart palpitations. Or you may not feel like eating or have a fever and chills.

 These symptoms can signal many other health conditions. So, cardiac tumors are hard to diagnose on symptoms alone. That’s why it’s important to get care from experienced cardiovascular providers.

What to expect at your first visit

When you come to your first appointment, your provider will take steps to confirm your diagnosis. They’ll want to find out what type of cardiac tumor you have — and if it’s cancerous or not. For many tumors, a precise diagnosis can’t be made without surgery to remove the whole mass.

You’ll talk with them about your symptoms, health history and any concerns you may have. You’ll also have a physical exam. Your provider will listen to your heart with a stethoscope to see if they hear anything unusual.

They’ll also set up imaging tests. These tests are the best way to confirm if you have a heart tumor and what type it is. You may have:

• Transthoracic echocardiogram.
• Transesophageal echocardiogram.
• Cardiac MRI.
• Cardiac CT scans.
• PET scan.

Because some tumors can be passed down (inherited) in families, we may also do genetic testing.

Meet Your Heart Tumor Team

You may hear a lot about teams here at Cleveland Clinic. And you’ll also get one of your own — skilled providers from different specialties working together to plan and manage your care. We believe teamwork like this gets you the best results — and the best care. Your team may have providers like:

• Cardiologists.
• Cardiac surgeons.
• Cardio-oncologists.
• Oncologists.
• Radiation oncologists.
• Radiologists.

How we treat cardiac tumors depends on what kind you have — and if it’s cancerous. Your care team works together to craft the best plan for you.

Noncancerous primary heart tumors

Heart tumor removal surgery is an effective treatment for smaller, benign cardiac tumors like myxomas or papillary fibroelastomas. It can be more difficult to remove larger tumors. When looking at surgery, your providers will consider if the tumor causes problems with how your heart works. While we usually plan for a complete removal, sometimes we may only be able to remove part of a tumor (partial resection).

When possible, we try to do minimally invasive surgery. But sometimes, you may need a full incision so we can do open heart surgery. Depending on the type of tumor and where it is, you may also need reconstructive surgery to repair heart or valve damage. Your care team will talk with you about this if it’s necessary.

Cancerous primary heart tumors

Complete surgical removal is the best choice for most tumors and may be the only way to confirm a diagnosis. But in some situations, you may have chemotherapy or radiation to shrink the tumor before surgery — or to slow the cancer’s progression. You may also take medications to manage any symptoms or complications. Some of these tumors are more treatable than others and providers from several teams will work together to decide what’s best for you.

Metastatic heart tumors

The treatment we recommend for metastatic tumors is based on the kind of cancer that’s spread to your heart. We may remove the tumor if we think it’ll help. And you may get chemotherapy drugs to slow tumor growth. We may also recommend palliative care if we find that there’s no benefit to more invasive treatment.

Traveling for Heart Care at Cleveland Clinic

We know that traveling for any kind of healthcare can often be stressful and overwhelming. If you’re coming to us from another city, state or even another country, we’re here to help make things as easy and convenient as possible for you. From knowing where to stay and where to eat, how to get to and from the airport, shop or just find your way around Cleveland Clinic, we’re here for you.

If you’re an international patient, our experienced and compassionate Global Patient Services (GPS) team will help you navigate Cleveland Clinic. They’ll connect you with the healthcare providers you need, help you make appointments, provide language translation services and coordinate follow-up care when you return home.

What To Expect After Heart Tumor Treatment

During and after treatment, you’ll meet regularly with your care team. You may also have frequent echocardiograms and other imaging tests so your providers can keep a close eye on your heart and the status of the cardiac tumor. If you’ve had surgery, we’ll watch to see if the tumor comes back (recurs). Regular checkups also let our team make sure your heart is working as it should.

If your providers notice tumor regrowth or heart problems, these regular visits let them start treatment right away.

Taking the Next Step

Finding out you have a heart tumor might make you feel like your world is suddenly turned upside down. But many heart tumors aren’t cancerous and are treatable. For the ones that are cancer, you can be sure that we’ll do everything we can to help you navigate this diagnosis and get the expert care you need. Our providers are here for you no matter what you’re facing, with the compassionate care and support you deserve.