Cardiac metastases have an autopsy incidence rate between 2.3% and 18.3% and are increasingly detected due to advances in cancer treatments extending patient survival.
Cardiac metastases are increasingly detected due to extended cancer survival, highlighting the need for early detection and optimized management strategies.
Cardiac metastases (CMs) are more common than primary cardiac tumors, with autopsy studies reporting incidence rates between 2.3% and 18.3%. Their increasing detection is largely attributed to advances in cancer treatments, which have extended patient survival. CMs may present with diverse clinical manifestations depending on their size, location, and extent of infiltration, although they often remain asymptomatic and are identified only postmortem. Sometimes, they are incidentally discovered during tumor staging or follow-up evaluations. This review explores the incidence, pathophysiology, clinical features, and potential complications of CMs, focusing on their prevalence and characteristics. It highlights the importance of early detection and optimized management strategies to address this growing clinical concern. Further research is essential to elucidate the mechanisms driving CMs and develop effective therapeutic interventions.
Lucà et al. (2025) conducted a review in Cardiac metastases. Cardiac metastases have an autopsy incidence rate between 2.3% and 18.3% and are increasingly detected due to advances in cancer treatments extending patient survival.