Symptoms of early stage heart cancer. Is there heart cancer, signs, how long do they live with it. Possible causes of the disease

The heart is an organ that is responsible for blood supply and oxygen supply to the whole body, any failure in its work has a very serious effect on general condition person.

Causes

Malignant tumors in the heart are quite rare. Some scientists explain this by the fact that this organ is heavily supplied with blood and its cells are not subject to division. is in a constant working rhythm, and metabolic processes in it occur quickly, but, nevertheless, sometimes it is found in it.

A neoplasm in the heart can appear as a result of poor environmental conditions, the use of low-quality food by a person with the presence of carcinogens, the presence bad habits, hereditary features organism. Experts believe that factors such as atherosclerosis and a tendency to form blood clots can also cause the development of heart cancer. Quite often, malignancy of a myxoma that has appeared in the heart occurs - benign neoplasm most commonly caused by heart surgery or traumatic injury chest. Most often, heart cancer develops in people of either sex between the ages of 30 and 50 years.

Types of heart cancer

There are two types of cancer that affect the heart muscle. This is primary, which develops directly from mutated heart tissues (occur in 25% of cases), and secondary, while another organ serves as the focus of the tumor, and the heart is affected by outgoing metastases.

The most common primary oncological degeneration of cells in the heart is sarcoma. It is characterized by damage to the right parts of the organ with compression large vessels. Her growth is very fast, with characteristic metastases to the brain, nearby lymph nodes, and lungs. Angiosarcoma is most often diagnosed, less often - fibrosarcoma or rhabdomyosarcoma. And it is extremely rare to find such primary tumors of the heart as or mesothelioma.

Most often, secondary cancer occurs in the form of metastases from the lungs or mammary gland, kidneys or thyroid gland, this indicates a far advanced process in these organs and its severity. The occurrence in the heart occurs by the lymphogenous or hematogenous route, and sometimes due to direct germination from damaged neighboring organs.

Diagnosis of the disease at any stage of development can be difficult, since no particular characteristic features not found for him. In any case, with an increase in signs of heart failure (dyspnea, chest pain) and the appearance common symptoms cancer intoxication (weight loss, increasing weakness, body pain, constant temperature, liver enlargement), immediate action should be taken.

Symptoms similar disease often associated with symptoms nervous system(or, loss of consciousness). However, with heart cancer, symptoms can grow so rapidly that a person does not have time to get help in a timely manner.

Clinically, the symptoms of a cancerous lesion of the heart depend on the size and location of the tumor and are disguised as other diseases - coronary disease and others.

Secondary cancer in the form of metastases in the heart occurs against the background of typical signs of the underlying disease. There are, however, cases when the first clinical sign another tumor is a metastatic lesion of the heart muscle.

Diagnostics

For correct diagnosis oncological disease of the heart, the whole complex of measures is applied, including the study of the history of the onset of the disease (anamnesis), the clinical picture, laboratory and instrumental methods:

Listening to heart sounds can reveal the appearance of various noises characteristic of valve damage.

In the blood test, a decrease in hemoglobin and platelets is determined, increase in ESR, C-reactive protein, leukocytes.

An ECG can show an increase in the heart, a violation of the rhythm and conduction function, and in some leads - a decrease in voltage.

EchoCG helps to determine the size of the formation, its localization and the presence of fluid in the pericardial cavity.

A more detailed study of the tumor can be obtained with an MRI or CT scan.

The study of the biopsy of the neoplasm and the composition of the fluid in the pericardium help to definitively establish the diagnosis.

Masking in the primary stages of heart cancer under other diseases makes it very difficult to detect it in time. The most common pathology is growing so rapidly that in most cases it ends in death. Therefore, despite modern techniques, heart cancer leads to the death of a person 6-12 months after its detection.

Heart Cancer Treatment

Symptomatic treatment with a diagnosis such as heart cancer, it may consist of systemic chemotherapy using cytostatics and radiation (gamma therapy). This allows you to slow down the growth of the tumor and prevent its further spread. After the similar procedures, subject to timely detection of the disease, the patient's life can be extended for up to 5 years.

On the this moment there are treatment methods in which the effect on degenerated cells is maximum, and healthy tissues are not affected. This is brachytherapy. It consists in placing radioactive particles directly into the thickness of the tumor growth. And the most accurate and in a safe way currently considered a gamma knife. This is a type of contact radiation therapy, carried out using a special high-precision apparatus.

In progressive clinics of the world, when a primary tumor of the heart is detected, it is surgically removed. To do this, a heart-lung machine is connected to the patient, and the affected area is excised, followed by suturing. If the lesion affects large areas of the heart muscle and valvular apparatus, then a heart transplant is performed. Sometimes a larger operation is performed, and the heart is transplanted along with the lungs.

After removal of a malignant tumor in 40% of cases, on average after two years, a relapse may occur.

Education: completed residency at the Russian Scientific Cancer Center named after N.N. N. N. Blokhin” and received a diploma in the specialty “Oncologist”

malignant tumors, affecting the heart, in medical practice are very rare. Doctors explain this fact by the ongoing process of blood circulation in the organ.

However, the symptoms of heart cancer are found mainly at the stage of metastasis.

Late diagnosis of a tumor is the result of the patient's negligent attitude towards his own health.

The reasons

Heart cancer can be primary or secondary. Primary lesion means that the malignant tumor originated directly from the tissues of the heart. However, more often experts observe a picture secondary lesion organ, i.e. the tumor process occurs due to the drift cancer cells from another organ affected by the tumor. This feature is associated with the specific structure of cardio-vascular system, as well as high metabolic and functional activity hearts. Possible causes of heart cancer include:

Traumatic operations on the heart;
Thromboprocess;
Atherosclerosis;
genetic predisposition.

Among the primary tumors of the heart, several forms are distinguished: rhabdomyoma (tumor muscle tissue organ), fibroma (a tumor formed from fibrous tissue), lipoma ( fatty tumor heart) and myxoma is the most common malignant neoplasm of the heart, occurring in 50% of cases. The listed forms of tumors are benign, and among malignant formations There are only two types: sarcoma and lymphoma.

Clinical picture

For a long time, cancer patients may not know they have heart cancer. The whole point is that initial stages tumor process, the disease manifests itself in a non-specific way: the patient periodically has a fever, weakness and pain in the joints, and a rapid decrease in body weight. Such symptoms of heart cancer can confuse not only the patient himself, but also specialists who often attribute the clinical manifestations of the tumor to other diseases. The symptomatology of the disease depends on the location of the tumor in the heart and the origins of its appearance (primary or secondary form). In this regard, it is customary to distinguish two groups of symptoms of heart cancer:

Main symptoms

Most typical sign the fact that a cancerous tumor progresses in the heart is heart failure. This phenomenon grows rather quickly and has no other explanations. Other symptoms of heart cancer are also distinguished:

Enlargement of the organ in size;
Pain in the chest, in the region of the heart;
Sustained arrhythmia;
Obstruction of the vena cava;
cardiac tamponade;
Dyspnea;
Slimming of the fingers, thickening of their drumsticks;
swelling of the face;
Rashes on the body for no particular reason;
Numbness of fingers and toes;
Swelling of the lower extremities;
accumulation of fluid in the lungs;
Fast fatiguability;
Dizziness and fainting.

With the spread of the tumor in the cavity of the heart, a decrease in its contractility, against which the patient rapidly develops heart failure with attacks of suffocation. These symptoms of heart cancer dramatically worsen the patient's condition and his chances for a full recovery. However, when the body takes a certain position discomfort can quickly disappear, which should be the last reason to seek help from a specialist.

Metastatic symptoms

When the heart is affected by metastases from other organs, a slightly different clinical picture. In most cases, metastatic symptoms of heart cancer are the result of cancer metastasis. thyroid gland, lungs and kidneys, as well as mammary glands. High chances of their appearance in lymphoma and melanoma, blood cancer. In the tumor process this case the pericardium, the outer connective membrane of the heart, is almost always involved. With metastases, the symptoms of heart cancer are manifested as follows.

Heart cancer is rare disease, which is very difficult to diagnose during a person's lifetime. Quite often, the patient does not even suspect that he has been living for several years with an oncological formation in the heart muscle. Medicine has been successfully treating oncology for a long time. But mortality often comes from some side effects treatment and from the consequences of the disease - various complications cancer.

heart cancer

What is the heart and what function it performs, only a cardiologist and a surgeon can say with accuracy. But we all feel his work, we know how to check the frequency of his blows in case of discomfort or pain in his area. We know that the heart is a muscle in the form hollow organ through which blood is pumped throughout circulatory system. We feel it behind the chest. It is located between lower parts lungs.

The human heart is like any other organ. human body, is subjected to various tumor diseases both benign and malignant.

What is heart cancer?

Cancer of the heart muscle is rare because it is constantly moving and bathed in blood. Diagnosis and treatment is carried out in any case, although most often heart cancer manifests itself at the stage of metastasis. The prognosis for cure and life expectancy of patients depends on the type of tumor and stage.

Does heart cancer happen? It is known that cancer develops from degenerated epithelial cells, which begin to divide uncontrollably. But in the heart, the epithelium is practically absent; there is an endothelial single-layer lining inside it. Cell division in it is not very active, and the cells are not damaged in any way. Therefore, a tumor in the heart is an extremely rare phenomenon, since, despite the invulnerability of the heart, in the presence of endothelium, any one cell can still undergo a mutation. As a result, a benign or malignant tumor of the heart occurs.

According to statistics, of all cases of cardiac diseases, 0.25% is a tumor of the heart.

The vast majority of them are benign:

jelly-like myxoma of the heart - in adults, it is localized in the left or right atrium has a leg attached to the septum, which divides the heart into two halves;
rhabdomyomas, non-metastatic tumors with a structure similar to striated muscle tissue - in newborns and children after a year.

From malignant neoplasms sarcomas occur connective tissue, as well as secondary neoplasms due to metastases of cancerous tumors.

They are formed:

on the outer surface heart muscle;
inside the cavity of one or more chambers of the heart;
within the tissues of the muscle itself.

Informative video:

Causes of heart cancer

According to the world's leading oncologists, the factors contributing to the abnormal regulation of cell division can be as follows:

violated immune defense organism, i.e. immunity is not able to detect cell mutations and other abnormalities;
aberrant growths appeared;
influenced by chemical, ultraviolet and radiation exposures;
genetic predisposition;
myxoma degenerated into a cancerous tumor against the background of infections, smoking, alcohol consumption, toxic effects;
a malignant tumor of a severe stage metastasized to the heart, forming a secondary cancer.

Primary and secondary heart cancer

Primary cancer of the heart muscle is represented by sarcomas of various morphological types, occasionally - cardiac lymphoma. Sarcomas develop from the mesenchyme (mesodermal parenchyma) - the embryonic connective tissue (mesoderm), more often in the right heart - the endocardium or pericardium.

People of any age are susceptible to the disease, but more often men and women in their 30s and 50s. Primary cancer leads to occlusion of the openings of the valves and outlet zones of the ventricles, compression and germination of the coronary vessels, large arteries and veins.

It grows rapidly, penetrating into all layers of the heart muscle and nearby organs. Metastases also grow rapidly in the lungs, mediastinum, lymph nodes: tracheobronchial and retroperitoneal, adrenal glands and brain.

Primary cardiac sarcomas:

Angiosarcoma of the heart. Arises from mucosal cells blood vessels the upper chamber of the right atrium (atrium) due to obstruction of the inflow or outflow of blood. During reproduction, oncocells unevenly accumulate, forming bulges (bumps) in blood vessels, infiltrating tissues, and then spread to the structures of neighboring tissues. In clusters, foci of necrosis and hemorrhage are formed. Men suffer from angiosarcoma 2 times more often than women.

Microscopically, it is determined by spindle-shaped, polygonal or rounded cells, forming syncytium and strands, randomly located. Tumors vary in size and shape vascular cavities filled with blood and communicating with each other. Loose argyrophilic fibers in the form of a basement membrane are located between the cells.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart. It can occur anywhere in the heart due to malignancy of muscle cells, but most often in the thick muscle layer of the myocardium. It occurs in 20% of all oncological tumors of the heart and is a white or pale pink soft nodule with hemorrhages and necrosis inside. The node consists of oval, round and spindle-shaped cells. They are located in a continuous field or form beam or alveolar structures in a network of collagen and argyrophilic fibers.

Liposarcoma of the heart. The tumor is very rare. It affects the atrium and metastasizes to the lungs, liver, and bones. It comes in pleomorphic and myxoid forms. Histiocytomas and schwannomas are even rarer.

Fibrosarcoma of the heart, as mesenchymal dense heart occurs in 10% of all oncological formations at any age in men and women. Macroscopically, this white or greyish-white nodule tends to infiltrate. Microscopically, it consists of fibroblast-like cells with varying degrees differentiation and from collagen fibers. Cells create interlacing bundles.

Mesothelioma of the heart or pericardium It is formed in the pericardial sac (on the outer shell of the heart) from mesothelial cells and has a malignant course. There are three histological variants of the tumor: epithelioid cancer (adenocarcinoma) is 50-70%, sarcomatous cancer (angioendothelioma) - 7-20%, cancer-sarcomatous type of tumor - 20-35%.

Mesothelioma of the pericardium it is prone to nodular, diffuse and diffuse-nodular growth and can cover the heart like a shell. It is characterized by invasive growth and metastasis by lymphogenous pathways.

Secondary heart cancer

Or, or form a secondary cancer of the heart muscle. They grow in the heart 25 times more often than primary tumors.

They have high metastasis malignant melanomas, and . Metastases in the heart in most cases are manifested in the underlying disease (primary cancer of an organ), from which there are already metastases anywhere in the sternum. Metastases spread by lymphogenous or hematogenous routes or as a result of direct invasion. Most often, the pericardium is affected, less often - the myocardium of all heart chambers, rarely - the endocardium and heart valves.

Secondary tumors of the heart, even in the form of small, hard nodules, are prone to diffuse infiltration especially in haematological tumors or sarcomas.

With tumor growth, the main implications of heart cancer for health monitoring of cardio-vascular system appear:

a decrease in the ejection fraction of the heart;
heart failure;
dysfunction;
organ damage.

It is worth noting! According to statistics, metastases in the heart occur in 10% of cancer patients and rarely lead to death.

Symptoms and signs of heart cancer

In primary and secondary heart cancer, symptoms and signs are clinically manifested depending on the size and location of the tumor. Its histological type also matters.

It is rather difficult to suspect heart cancer, since the symptoms of the disease can be hidden behind similar manifestations of myocarditis, pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, or for sensations after chemotherapy and radiation. Generalized signs of heart cancer do not indicate directly the onset of the oncological process.

They appear:

fever or cough;
joint pain;
blue fingers when pressed (Raynaud's phenomenon);
edema: abdomen, ankles, legs;
swelling of the veins of the neck due to poor pumping from the atrium or obstacles that prevent free entry of blood into the heart from the vessels.

Symptoms of heart cancer also do not clearly indicate cancer.

Patients may complain of:

difficulty breathing when lying on your back or side;
low blood pressure;
shortness of breath and fatigue;
irregular heart rhythms or a fast heartbeat;
dizziness and even fainting;
sensations of "creeping" chest pain and "coma" pressure.

With metastases and secondary cancer, it manifests itself:

shortness of breath at the slightest movement;
systolic murmur;
cardiac tamponade;
acute pericarditis;
the rhythm of the heart is disturbed;
heart failure;
the area of \u200b\u200bthe contour of the heart increases, which can be seen on the x-ray.

Cancer diagnosis

Diagnosis of heart cancer is based on:

patient complaints;
listening to heart sounds, which can reveal the appearance of various noises characteristic of valve damage;
a blood test, which determines a decrease in hemoglobin and platelets, an increase in ESR, C-reactive protein, leukocytes;
x-ray examination to determine the size of the heart and its individual parts;
echocardiography - studies of the heart and large vessels with ultrasound as the primary and main method of imaging the heart;
angiocardiography - X-ray examination of the chambers, thoracic veins and arteries;
computer and magnetic resonance imaging;
radioisotope ventriculography;
echoscopy with color Doppler study;
coronary angiography;
detection of tumor markers in blood serum.

Stages of heart cancer

Stage 0 - precancerous phase, not prone to recurrence;
stage 1 - tumor< 2 см;
stage 2 - tumor 2-5 cm, metastases are possible;
stage 3 - tumor ≥5 cm, metastases to the lymph nodes and nearby areas;
Stage 4 - large tumor, active metastasis.

Heart Cancer Treatment

The type and stage of the tumor determines the scheme by which heart cancer is treated. At the zero stage, patients can be completely cured. A small tumor in the first and second stages is removed, appropriate therapy is applied, which gives a chance for complete cure. Patients are constantly examined for metastases.

With primary myxoma, an operation is performed to remove it and a heart-lung machine is used. Together with the myxoma, the place where it was attached is removed. If necessary, the resulting defect is closed with a biological patch to prevent the re-formation of myxoma (relapse).

Removal of other single benign tumors: fibroids and rhabdomyomas, as well as teratomas, lipomas and pericardial cysts are not carried out if they do not harm the functional work of the heart.

Treatment of heart muscle cancer is carried out by the following methods:

Surgical intervention

When the tumor is located in the thickness of the muscle wall, brachytherapy is used and. Robotic technology makes it possible not to affect healthy tissues during the elimination of the tumor. The work of the myocardium is supported on special equipment.

heart transplant

Transplantation is carried out in the absence of metastases to other organs. Take into account all the risks associated with transplant rejection. To reduce the risk of side effects and recurrence, scientists are testing organ autotransplantation. To do this, the heart is extracted while maintaining its own functions, then the formation is removed. Scientists consider this method safe for the patient, since it is not necessary to prescribe immunosuppressants that contribute to the return of cancer.

ionizing radiation

Treatment of a heart tumor with ionizing radiation is carried out at advanced stages. However, long-term treatment can damage muscle tissue and lead to cardiovascular disease, coronary disease hearts.

Injections and drainage

With the accumulation of secretions in the tumor, which violates functional work heart, drugs are administered to prevent the progression of the disease. If there is a risk of cardiac tamponade, medical puncture pericardium. In order not to carry it out repeatedly, an operation is performed to establish drainage from the pericardium into the lining of the lungs (pleural region).
Malignant tumors of the heart and pericardium late stages, except for liposarcoma, are difficult to treat due to their massive germination in the tissues surrounding the heart and rapid growth. If the heart is unable to work normally, the tumor is partially removed and chemotherapy is given.

Liposarcoma is cured with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Palliative treatment is used for secondary tumors, as well as for primary ones.

Prognosis for heart cancer

If heart cancer develops, the prognosis in the early stages can be optimistic.

Studies have determined that the two-year survival rate is from 100%:

at stages 0 and I - 8.3%;
at stage II - 3%;
on the stages III and IV - 0.9%.

With absence secondary formations in the spinal cord or brain, the prognosis for heart cancer increases to 11-14% in the last stages.

With sarcomas - very aggressive forms of cancer that are prone to metastasis and recurrence, life expectancy is close to such indicators from the moment of diagnosis:

6-11 months - with angiosarcoma;
24 months - with rhabdomyosarcoma of stages I and II, at stages III and IV - less than 12 months after removal of the primary tumor, radiation and chemotherapy;
6-8 months - with liposarcoma.

Prevention of heart cancer

Preventive measures to help protect against heart disease, including cancer:

physical activity, sports - to train the heart and strengthen the immune system;
maintaining normal weight balanced nutrition;
lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels by including fruit and vegetable products and the exclusion of fatty, spicy, salty, fried foods - especially for children and the elderly;
exclusion of smoking and drinking alcohol;
pressure control;
treatment of acute infectious diseases to exclude the chronic form;
any treatment inflammatory process in the body - they contribute oncological tumor accelerate development and dissemination.

When primary signs heart disease, you should contact a cardiologist for a study. An echocardiogram should be performed annually for patients who are registered with the dispensary and for persons in whose families there have been cases of heart myxoma. To eliminate the risk of heart disease and early detection of cancer, it is recommended to undergo an examination 1-2 times a year by a cardiologist and undergo an ECG.

Conclusions! The heart is the most basic organ of the body, without which a person's life is impossible. Benign and malignant tumors. The constant movement of the heart muscle and washing it with blood makes it difficult to detect oncology in the early stages. Therefore, any heart disease should not be ignored and treated, since signs of cancer can hide behind their symptoms. Eliminates the risk of cancer timely prevention examinations by a cardiologist and healthy lifestyle life.

Cancer of the heart is extremely rare today. This is because the heart muscle is constantly bathed in blood and is in motion. But, unfortunately, there are exceptions here. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the symptoms of heart cancer appear already at the stage of metastasis - naturally, in this case, the prognosis for recovery is unfavorable.

Heart cancer: stages

Heart cancer is primary (25 percent of total cases) and secondary. In most cases, primary tumors are sarcomas, but lymphomas are diagnosed less frequently. Sarcoma can be found with equal probability in both women and men. This tumor grows from the mesenchyme and is distinguished by a variety of morphological variants, and therefore the diagnosis is difficult in this case. Most often, the disease occurs between 30 and 50 years of age. As a rule, sarcoma affects mainly the right heart sections. Such a tumor compresses coronary vessels, large veins and arteries and forms aggressive metastases that affect the brain, lungs, adrenal glands and lymph nodes.

The most common sarcoma is angiosarcoma. It is diagnosed in 33 percent of all cases. This type of tumor is more common in men and affects right atrium, but can also spread to all cardiac departments. In such a tumor, vascular cavities are placed, filled with blood and communicating with each other.

Secondary heart tumors arise from metastatic processes. Most often, metastatic lesions of the heart occur with diagnoses such as leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma.

The causes of heart cancer have not yet been established.

Heart cancer: signs

With metastatic lesions, the symptoms of heart cancer are as follows:

shortness of breath;

cardiac tamponade;

Signs of acute pericarditis;

Sudden onset of systolic murmur;

Violations heart rate;

A rapid increase in the cardiac contour (its area) during an X-ray examination;

atrioventricular block;

Congestive heart failure.

expressiveness clinical manifestations depends on the location of the tumor and its size.

The main symptoms of heart cancer:

Heart failure;

An increase in the size of the heart;

Tamponade;

Hemorrhagic effusion in the pericardium;

Arrhythmia;

Pain in the chest area;

Obstruction of the vena cava;

Violation of cardiac conduction;

Sudden death.

Heart cancer: treatment

How long do people live with heart cancer? If not treated, average duration the life of the patient is from 6 to 12 months. Effective treatment can increase life expectancy up to 5 years.

In most cases surgical intervention is ineffective in case of heart cancer, since at the time of diagnosing the disease, the tumor has big sizes and extends not only within the myocardium, but also to adjacent tissues and organs. The most correct type of treatment is symptomatic. It includes chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy, due to which the clinical severity of the disease is significantly reduced.