Cardiac Cancer

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Mar 25, 2008

We had a patient once who came in with SVT, and it turned out to be a tumor in his heart.

Editorial Team / Admin · Mar 25, 2008

Hello and Welcome to allnurses.com

Good to have you with us.

I moved your post to a single thread for a better response.

I do not have stats readily available, but there have been cases of cardiac cancer. Very very rare indeed. Most cardiac tumors are benign.

Interesting and will look forward to other responses.

RN1989 · Mar 25, 2008

Have seen one patient with it. Did not survive.

CHATSDALE · Mar 25, 2008

i have seen patients with cardiac ca but i agree that is is probably more rare than other muscle ca but i am just saying that off the top of my head

mianders, RN · Mar 25, 2008

Heart cancer does exist but is very rare(

buddiage · Mar 25, 2008

seen a pt with it, listed in the hx 5 years prior before I saw her.

Cindy-san · Mar 26, 2008

I just had a pt with a huge tumor in her RV (takes up almost the entire thing). They tried to remove it, but it was too ingrained into the septal wall.

They're hoping they can shrink it with chemo and possibly remove it.

If not, they give her a week to live...

PurrRN · Mar 26, 2008

"Proliferation and differentiation are the two major dysfunctions present in the process of cancer. Cancer cells usually proliferate at the same rate as the normal cells of the tissue from which they arise. In some tissues, such as bone marrow, hair follicles, and epithelial lining fo the GI tract, the rate of cellular proliferation is rapid. In other tissues, such as myocardium and cartilage, cellular proliferation does not occur or is slow" (Medical Surgical Nursing, Lewis, Heitkemper, Dirksen. O'Brian and Bucher, 2007).

We just happen to be studying cancer at this time. I remembered something about the slow myocardial proliferation and thought I'd share.

Angela