Ex situ Resection of Primary Cardiac Tumors

Abstract

The prognosis of malignant heart tumors is pessimistic; 50% of patients die within 6 months. No optimal therapy has been established, and standardized therapeutic concepts have not been developed due to the low incidence of this disease. In most cases, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have not shown any survival benefit compared to surgical treatment. Obviously, radical resection of the tumor is the most important determinant for long-term survival. Here, we report on two patients in whom radical resection of heart tumors could be accomplished only after explantation of the heart.

Lethal mass mimicking myxoma in the heart

“…4 Radical resection of cardiac sarcomas has been performed in explanted hearts. 5 With combination therapy, current survival has improved compared to the 1990s, with patients surviving as long as 119 months. 4 Although uncommon, malignant cardiac tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially when unusual features are seen on echocardiography.…”

Cardiac Angiosarcoma Diagnosed and Characterized by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging

“…However, radical resection of the tumor is the most important determinant for long-term survival. 13 The therapeutic approach includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, alone or in combination. 14 -16 Sometimes preoperative, neoadjuvant chemotherapy can reduce the tumor mass and facilitate a surgical approach.…”

“…Data from the University of Münster indicate that approximately 50% of all patients died within 6 months after diagnosis. 13 There have been recent reports of survival times between 12 and 30 months with combined therapy approaches. 3,5 …”

Autotrasplante cardiaco en el tratamiento quirúrgico de tumores cardiacos primarios: Caso clínico

“…En las series reportadas de sarcomas resecados, la supervivencia suele ser pobre; 90% de los sarcomas primarios cardiacos tiene una supervivencia media de 9 a 12 meses sólo con tratamiento médico 10 .…”