Heart tumors can be benign or malignant and can develop in the heart or spread there from other parts of the body. Myxomas are the most common benign variety, followed by rhabdomyomas. Other types of benign heart tumors include fibroids, lipomas, and pericardial cysts. The most common malignant heart tumor is angiosarcoma, which often begins in the right atrium. Tumors can also spread from nearby tissue, leading to secondary cancers in the heart.
Heart tumors can be benign or malignant and can develop in the heart itself or spread there from other parts of the body. Myxomas are the most common benign variety, growing in the chambers of the heart, followed by rhabdomyomas, which occur in the heart muscles. Other types of benign heart tumors include fibroids, lipomas and pericardial cysts. There are also a variety of malignancies, called cardiac sarcomas, that can develop in the heart, the most common being angiosarcomas that grow within the chambers. Tumors can also spread from nearby tissue such as the breast or lungs, leading to secondary cancers in the heart.
About half of the cancers that start in the heart are myxomas. These benign growths occur in the heart chambers, especially the left atrium. They can block blood flow through the heart and stop the valves from working properly.
Rhabdomyomas are the second most common type of heart tumor. These tumors are also benign and grow within the myocardium, or heart muscle tissue. Often affecting infants or children, they are typically found clustered in the wall of the ventricle.
Several other types of benign heart tumors can also develop in the heart, although they are rarer. Fibroids, made up of connective tissue, typically grow in the myocardium. Lipomas are lumps of fat that often develop in the walls of the heart. Newborns can get a tumor called a teratoma, which usually occurs at the base of vessels on the surface of the heart. Some other varieties include lymphangiomas, pericardial cysts, and papillary fibroelastomas.
Although relatively rare, it is possible for a malignant heart tumor to occur within the organ. The most common type is angiosarcoma, which often begins in the right atrium, although it can also grow on the pericardium or external surface. These tumors often block blood flow through the atrium and can be associated with chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpations when they grow on the pericardium. Other cancerous tumors of the heart can include fibrosarcomas, myxosarcomas, and liposarcomas.
A much more common occurrence than a primary malignant heart tumor is cancer that spreads to the heart from another location. This can occur with many different types of cancer such as leukemias, sarcomas and melanomas. Although it is often the result of lung or breast cancer, a malignant tumor can also spread from other tissues.
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