# Why no heart cancer?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-heart-cancer/77158>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-heart-cancer/77158 "2001-08-20T15:37:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tretiak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Tretiak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tretiak)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-heart-cancer/77158/1 "2001-08-20T15:37:44Z")

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it seems to me that every organ in the body is a candidate for cancer…lungs, stomach, skin, throat, brain, etc. But i have never heard of heart cancer. Is there no such thing? Why not? Is it because the heart is really a muscle (although that begs the question why muscles don’t get cancer)?

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-heart-cancer/77158/2 "2001-08-20T16:05:54Z")

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While it’s true that malignant heart and muscle cancers and especially common, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Just they tend to be more benign than many other types. The uterus, don’t forget, is also a muscular structure, where leiomyosarcomas are not particularly rare.

Heart tumours are often found since they obstruct flow; myxomas tend to impede valve function. Muscular tumours also include rhabdomyosarcomas, Ewing’s sarcoma and suchlike.

So your premise is not exactly true.

Pap, MD.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-heart-cancer/77158/3 "2001-08-20T16:14:28Z")

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The master [speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a941125.html)

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-heart-cancer/77158/4 "2001-08-21T00:33:45Z")

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Sister in law had it as a complication of Lupus.