Cardiac neoplasms at the Canadian reference centre for cancer pathology

OBJECTIVE: To review the Canadian Reference Centre for Cancer Pathology's e xperience with cardiac neoplasms by reviewing all cases with tumours involv ing the heart referred to the Centre from 1949 to 1995. Referred patient re cords, panel and consensus statement submissions and glass slides were revi ewed in all cases. In selected cases additional immunohistochemical stains were obtained from paraffin block tissues. SETTING: National referral centre for difficult or interesting cancer patho logy-related cases. PATIENTS: All cases were derived from referral of autopsy material and/or s urgically resected neoplasms. Material was referred from 35 patients during 1949 to 1995. The group consisted of Il males, 17 females and one infant p atient in whom the sex was not specified. The patient age ranged from infan cy to 85 years. RESULTS: The neoplasms referred consisted of 12 myxomas, 10 sarcomas, five lymphomas, two carcinomas, two papillary fibroelastomas and one each of rha bdomyoma, mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node, lipomatous hypertrophy of the intra-atrial septum and fibroma. The sarcomas were difficult to cla ssify even with the use of additional immunohistochemical stains. All the l ymphomas were of non-Hodgkin's type and were not of primary cardiac origin. CONCLUSIONS: The series of neoplasms referred to the Canadian Reference Cen tre for Cancer Pathology reflects changes in cardiac surgery, cardiac imagi ng and cardiac pathology as disciplines. Even with modem pathological techn iques some cases, especially sarcomas, are still difficult to diagnose. The clinical presentation often reflects the chamber of origin of the neoplasm rather than being indicative of a specific tumour type.