Cardiac sarcomas: therapeutic options?

Primary cardiac leiomyosarcoma presenting as haemoptysis in a 22-year-old patient: an unusual presentation of a rare condition

Primary cardiac sarcomas are rare malignant tumours and among them, leiomyosarcoma is extremely rare. They are especially rare in a young age group. We present a case of a 22-year-old male patient with primary leiomyosarcoma of the left atrium involving the pulmonary veins who presented with haemoptysis and shortness of breath. He underwent surgical excision of the tumour along with mitral valve replacement followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. No recurrence was reported on his second 6 monthly follow-ups.

Malignant tumors of the heart

Primary malignant cardiac tumors are rare, and mostly manifest as sarcomas in various types. As non-invasive diagnostic modalities, e.g. echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging, have become more sensitive, there is a marked increase in the number of patients diagnosed. Nevertheless, most patients die within one year of initial diagnosis, either because of the often asymptomatic presentation of cardiac tumors until advanced disease, or a low index of suspicion on the part of the physician. The presenting symptoms, treatment options and, indeed, prognosis are largely controlled by the tumor's anatomic location. Cardiac sarcomas may present with a variety of symptoms and are known to be great mimickers. A quick diagnosis facilitates the initiation of a proper treatment (surgical resection, adjuvant chemotherapy), which may in turn improve the prognosis. Metastases to the heart are far more common, unfortunately, clinical manifestations are mainly dominated by generalized tumor spread. The article summarizes epidemiology, symptoms, diagnostic modalities, and possible treatment options.

Primary malignant tumors of the heart: Outcomes of the surgical treatment

Background

Malignant cardiac tumors are rare and have an extremely poor prognosis even when complete resection is attempted. The aim of this study was to review the experience of primary malignant cardiac tumors in 2 Italian academic hospitals.

Methods

The hospital records were searched to identify patients with primary malignant cardiac tumors who underwent surgery between January 1979 and December 2012. Secondary cardiac tumors, whether metastatic or invasive, were excluded as were primary sarcomas of the great arteries. Fourteen patients selected from our institution’s surgical series were identified. Eleven (78.6%) were men and 3 (21.4%) were women, and the mean age at surgery was 47.4 years.

Results

The most common histological type was angiosarcoma (28.6%). The mean survival was 28.8 ± 28 months and it was better in men than in women (30.5 ± 8.7 vs. 21.1 ± 3.2 months). Patients with a radical resection at the first surgery had a longer survival compared to patients with a partial resection (39.9 ± 23.2 vs. 24 ± 4 months).

Conclusions

The treatment outcome for patients affected by primary malignant heart tumors remains poor. Aggressive surgery alone does not provide good results in terms of survival rate. A new multidisciplinary approach is mandatory to improve long-term survival.