Cardiac Cancer: An Evidence-Based Study of Occurrence

From 1931 to 2025, spanning 94 years, cardiac cancer has remained a rare and sporadic tumor that poses both an investigative dilemma and a therapeutic challenge. Autopsy findings indicate that the incidence of primary cardiac malignancies is approximately 0.02 percent. Surgical resection is considered a viable and often successful treatment option.

The present study aims to provide an overall assessment of cardiac cancer in Isfahan Province, Iran.

To provide detailed information on specific aspects, such as frequency and demographic characteristics of cardiac cancer.

The representative data of this study were drawn from the general population of Isfahan Province. SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) data were obtained from the Deputy of Health, Division of Registry of Cancer (between 2011 and 2015). With attention to subject selection (the authors followed the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Guidelines), and according to the ICDO topography code, C38 was considered for further investigation as heart cancer or cardiac tumors.

During the study period, a total of 30,465 cancer patients were recorded, comprising 14,638 females and 15,827 males. Among these, 122 cases (0.4 percent) were identified as cardiac cancer, including 42 females and 80 males. The patients' ages ranged from 3 to 95 years, with a mean age of 46.8 ± 21.5 years. The annual distribution of reported cardiac tumors during the study period was as follows: 34, 37, 18, and 33 cases, respectively. Based on available data from the monographic code M, which does not specify subtypes, the following conditions were recorded: mesothelioma (n = 25), neoplasm (n = 11), Hodgkin lymphoma, nodular sclerosis, NOS (n = 14), and other unspecified conditions. A total of three deaths were reported.

In the population studied, the frequency of cardiac cancer in men was significantly higher than in women. Age related to cardiac cancer in 51% was between 40-70 years old. For the patient satisfaction and financial aspects of the Iranian health system, further consideration is suggested regarding referral systems, evidence-based pharmacotherapy, and post-surgery outcome inquiries.