PRIMARY CARDIAC TUMORS: EARLY SURGERY, COMPLETE RESECTION, CHEMOTHERAPY ENHANCES SURVIVAL.

Abstract

Primary cardiac tumors are rare. The incidence varies between 0.3% to 0.7% .Quarter of all primary cardiac tumors are malignant, of these 75% are sarcomas. Malignant primary cardiac sarcomas that affect right atrium are predominantly angiosarcomas while the left atrium is involved primary in pleomorphic sarcoma like malignant brous histiocytoma and leiomyosarcoma. In a young patient it usually carries a dismal prognosis if not diagnosed early and dealt with surgically followed by adjuvant therapy. Without surgical resection, the survival rate at 1yr is only 10%.Retrospective evaluation of the last 60 primary cardiac tumors done by the same surgical team over 28 years was looked into.