Tumor Removal

A cardiac tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the heart and may be classified as either cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). Cardiac tumors are further classified as either primary (originating from the heart) or secondary (spread from a tumor in a different part of the body). Primary cardiac tumors are extremely rare, while secondary cardiac tumors are 20-30 times more frequent. They most commonly arise in patients with lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, renal cell cancer, or lymphoma.

Primary cancerous tumors are likely to be treated with radiation or chemotherapy. There are several surgeries a doctor may choose to perform for the removal of non-cancerous tumors.