Heart neoplasms are of increasing interest among clinicians and surgeons. A review of primary malignant cardiac tumors, secondary cardiac tumors and carcinoid heart tumors is presented, with special reference to their pathological and surgical aspects. Primary malignant heart tumors represent about 25% of all cardiac tumors, the great majority are sarcomas and the whole family of this group is described including angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, neurogenic sarcoma, synovial sarcoma and osteosarcoma; mesothelioma, lymphoma, malignant teratoma and thymoma are also included. Metastatic heart tumors are 20-40 times more common than primary malignancies, their behavior and more relevant aspects in diagnostic and surgical therapy are mentioned. Carcinoid heart tumors represent a distinctive entity and are discussed individually.