Expert: Florence M Rollwagen - 4/13/2009

Question
why cancer does not affect the heart cells?

Answer
Hi Soundaryam: Thanks for your question. Actually, there is a cancer of the heart called cardiac sarcoma. Here's a link: http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/adult_cardiac/sarcoma.cfm

"Cancer" as a term medically refers to malignancy of the tissues derived from the embryonic ectoderm and endoderm and their derivatives. Here is info from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_layer

The fertilized egg divides into three layers early in its development,  Endoderm (the inner part) becomes the lining of the digestive tract, all the glands, including liver and pancreas.  Lungs, intestine and urinary bladder are all derived from this tissue.  The ectoderm is the outer covering, and becomes nerves, hair and mammary tissue.  Mesoderm is in the middle and becomes muscle, kidney and red blood cells.

Cancers of tissues derived from the mesoderm are called sarcomas and are much less common than cancers (from ecto, endoderm). They are much less common than cancers because, for one, they come from tissues that do not divide very much.

Hope this answer helps you. Please write back if you need more information.

FM Rollwagen, PhD