Heart cancer is a rare condition but it can occur in otherwise healthy individuals. The affected part of the heart is typically the tissue portions of the heart because those areas contain cells that regularly divide. The cancer can affect the heart by hardening the muscle. Treatments for heart cancer can also cause permanent damage to the heart.
History
Heart cancer is rare because cancer typically occurs in areas of the body that contain cells that divide regularly on their own. The heart doesn't house these types of cells and is mostly made of muscle. Heart cancer usually presents itself in both men and women between the ages of 20 and 40.
Noticeable Symptoms
There are symptoms associated with heart cancer that are very noticeable and can be a distinct warning that something is wrong. These generally include tachycardia (a very fast heart rate), an irregular heartbeat, fainting, heart failure or heart attack.
Unnoticeable Symptoms
Other symptoms of heart cancer can be slightly unnoticeable and easily ignored on a day-to-day basis. These include heart murmurs (which often are not felt by the average person), fever (If fever is low and no other symptoms accompany it) and even pericarditis (an inflamation of the heart that can be minor and has a variety of symptoms that might not indicate heart cancer).
Diagnostic Testing
Tests that would typically indicate a problem with the heart and require further testing (i.e., a biopsy) include a electrocardiogram (records irregularities in the heart's electrical activity), echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart that can detect physical abnormalities) or cardiac angiogram (a catheter that is fed up to the heart, injects dye and takes photos of the pathways of the heart.
Treatment
Surgery can be performed to remove tumors, drain fluid or remove other affected portions of the heart. Medications such as Herceptin or Rituxan be used to try and shrink tumors. However, treatment can be tough because it can inadvertantly damage healthy parts of the heart.
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