Cardiac Metastasis: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Management

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Cardiac metastases (CMs) are more prevalent than primary cardiac tumors, with autopsy incidence ranging from 2.3% to 18.3%.
• Increased cancer survival due to advanced treatments contributes to the rising detection of CMs.
• CMs often present asymptomatically, discovered postmortem or incidentally during cancer staging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the incidence, pathophysiology, clinical features, and complications of cardiac metastases.
• To focus on the prevalence and characteristics of CMs.
• To emphasize the importance of early detection and optimized management strategies for CMs.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on cardiac metastases.
• Analysis of incidence rates from autopsy data.
• Exploration of clinical manifestations, size, location, and infiltration extent of CMs.

Main Results:

• Cardiac metastases are more common than primary cardiac tumors.
• Detection rates are increasing due to improved cancer survival.
• Clinical presentation varies, but many cases are asymptomatic.

Conclusions:

• Early detection and optimized management of CMs are critical.
• Further research is needed to understand CM mechanisms and develop therapies.
• Addressing CMs is essential given their growing clinical significance.