Treatment of an unresectable cardiac angiosarcoma using paclitaxel and image guided radiotherapy: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Primary cardiac angiosarcomas (PCAs) are rare tumors that are typically found in the right atrium between the third and the fifth decade of life. While surgical removal of the tumor combined with adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is the treatment of choice, most of the patients present with unresectable tumors and metastatic disease carrying a dismal prognosis with a median survival of less than 1 year. Doxorubicin and ifosfamide based chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy is currently employed in these patients, but no standardized treatment algorithms exist. In this report, we present the management of a patient with an unresectable PCA treated using weekly paclitaxel (120 mg) combined with radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions) delivered by a helical TomoTherapy system. Follow-up imaging studies showed a remarkable tumor regression which allowed for surgical excision of the tumor 10 months post treatment. Histopathological examination of the resected mass showed no viable tumor cell. On the latest follow-up study, 12 months post treatment, no sign of disease progression (local or distant) was found, and the patient is in good clinical condition.

Keywords

• Primary cardiac angiosarcoma
• Radiotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• TomoTherapy
• Paclitaxel