A Patient with a Massive Single Cardiac Metastasis of Lung Adenocarcinoma, Diagnosed via a Biopsy
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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

A Permanent Window for Investigating Cancer Metastasis to the Lung
Published on: July 1, 2021
Takuya Oyakawa1, Nao Muraoka1, Kei Iida1
1Division of Cardiology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Japan.
Abstract:
A patient with a history of lung adenocarcinoma was admitted because of palpitation. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a mass (74×42 mm) in the right ventricle. Computed tomography showed a tumor lesion in the right ventricular cavity but no other distant metastasis. Coronary angiography revealed well-developed small branches to the tumor. After right heart catheterization, a pathological analysis of a tumor biopsy demonstrated adenocarcinoma. We diagnosed the patient with right ventricular metastasis of lung cancer. With large cardiac metastasis, a tumor biopsy with a right heart catheter may help obtain a pathological diagnosis and also serve as a re-biopsy to confirm the gene mutation status.
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