Signs and Symptoms
Vary Depending on the Location
The symptoms of cancerous heart tumors are the same as those of noncancerous heart tumors. They vary depending on the location. However, the symptoms of cancerous heart tumors worsen more quickly than those of non-cancerous heart tumors because the tumors grow more quickly.
Symptoms
Symptoms may include:
- Heart failure
- Arrhythmias
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- Heart murmurs
- Weight loss
- Fevers
Other Signs
Other signs include the following:
- Primary tumors may spread to the spine, nearby tissues or organs such as the lungs or brain.
- Myxomas grow from a stalk and may swing back and forth with the flow of blood, blocking the mitral valve, causing blood flow to stop and start intermittently. This may cause fainting, shortness of breath or fever.
- Myxomas may degenerate so that pieces of them break off and travel through the bloodstream, turning into blood clots that block blood flow.