Primary cardiac tumors on the verge of oblivion: a European experience over 15 years

Background: Primary tumors of the heart represent an exceedingly rare entity in cardiac surgery and literature regarding management and outcome is rare. The aim of this study was to translate 15years of experience in both multimodal diagnosis and surgical treatment of one of the largest collective of patients in literature into a detailed analysis of patient prognosis, mean survival and best treatment approach. Methods and results: All patients who underwent open-heart surgery at the Hospital of the Medical University of Vienna for primary cardiac tumor excision between 1999 and 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Mean follow-up was 76.8months. Descriptive statistical measurements were applied. Conclusion: Primary cardiac tumors remain challenging in the clinical setting. A multimodality treatment approach especially for sarcoma patients prolongs mean survival and should be regarded as the standard of care.