Can cancer occur in the heart?

Answer 1: 

Image source: en.wikipedia.org

Yes, cancer can occur in the heart but it is very rare. Cancer or Neoplasia is a disease of the organs with actively dividing cells, wherein the cell proliferation/division process goes out of control due to viral infection or changes in the DNA sequence. For example, skin, intestine, bone marrow and the like, have high populations of dividing cells and are more often prone to cancer.The heart muscle cells are essentially non-dividing and hence are not very susceptible to cancer. Cancer of the heart muscle called angiosarcoma does occur but is rare and occurs more often in children and in the right side of the heart. Cancers like melanoma are known to spread to the heart and most of these tumours are benign.

Answer 2: 

Yes, though heart cancer is extremely rare. The vast majority of heart tumours are noncancerous (benign). Occasionally, cancer can spread to the heart from other parts of the body. Treatment of heart tumours involves surgical removal. Cancer can affect the heart in other ways, such as causing damage to the heart valves or stiffening of the heart muscle. Cancer treatments can also affect the heart. Certain chemotherapy drugs can damage the heart. Radiation therapy directed at or near the heart can also damage the heart muscle and increase the risk of coronary artery disease later in life.

Source: thehindu.com