Rare cardiac muscle cancer claims actor Akkaphan Namart, 39
Heart muscle typically does not form tumours because it is an organ that remains relatively stable while working hard
The official Facebook page of Channel 7HD posted a message expressing condolences and paying tribute, while announcing the death of actor Akkaphan Namart, 39, on Sunday.
Dr Somchai Thanasitthichai, director of the National Cancer Institute, said that in the case of Akkaphan Namart, who was reported to have been suffering from cardiac muscle cancer, the disease is extremely rare. This is not only based on statistics from Thailand but also from around the world.
The heart muscle typically does not divide or form tumours because it is an organ that remains relatively stable while working hard. Cancer is caused by abnormal cell division, and thus the heart muscle does not generally develop cancer. Even non-cancerous tumours in the heart are very rare.
Cardiac Muscle Cancer Statistics
The disease is typically found in one or two cases per year, and in Thailand, it is even rarer – occurring in one case every several years. Since the heart is a vital organ that pumps blood, tumours or cancers within the heart are difficult to detect, except in cases where cancer from other parts of the body, such as lung cancer, spreads to the heart.
Two Hypotheses for Cardiac Muscle Cancer
The tumour obstructs blood flow, causing symptoms similar to a heart attack.
The tumour fragments and spreads, causing blockages in other organs, resembling blood clots.
In both cases, the disease is usually only discovered in its advanced stages. Early-stage cardiac cancer typically shows no symptoms. Therefore, if diagnosed, the cancer is often at an incurable stage, and treatment is primarily palliative.
The heart, as an organ, does not divide frequently, and treatments like chemotherapy or radiation only alleviate symptoms. More than 50% of patients die within a year. As such, cardiac muscle cancer is considered a severe disease, and there are no special treatments available at present. Heart surgery to remove the tumour only extends the patient's life temporarily.
