title: Surgical outcome in 85 patients with primary cardiac tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We present a large, single institution experience with adult cardiac tumors and address factors affecting outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was made of all patients who underwent surgery for primary cardiac tumors from April 1975 through August 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-five patients (33 male and 52 female) with a mean age of 54 years were identified with follow-up available for 80 (94%) patients. There were 68 (80%) benign tumors and 17 (20%) malignant tumors. Three tumors recurred and were resected giving a total of 88 surgeries. All benign tumors were grossly resected and the extent of resection for malignant disease ranged from 14 (78%) gross resections and 3 (17%) debulkings to 1 (5%) biopsy. There were 4 (5%) early hospital deaths. Median survival was 9.6 months and 322 months for patients with malignant and benign diseases, respectively. Significant predictors of long-term mortality were malignant disease (P <0.0001) and New York Heart Association class (P <0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical resection provides excellent outcome in patients with benign cardiac tumors. Malignant tumors continue to pose a challenge with good local tumor control but limited survival owing to metastatic disease.
authors.affiliation: Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030-2761, USA.
authors.forename: Faisal G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Bakaeen
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reardon
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Coselli
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Jimmy F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lawrie
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Espada
authors.forename: Mahesh K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ramchandani
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Noon
authors.forename: Donald G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Weilbaecher
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: DeBakey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate