Mechanical forces of beating heart suppress cancer growth

The cardiac vasculature is characterized by high pressure, high blood flow, and dense vascular branching, which may increase its exposure to circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, both primary cardiac tumors and metastases are remarkably rare. This mechanism has remained poorly understood. A recent report by Ciucci and co-workers show that mechanical load in the heart inhibits cancer cell proliferation. Their work proposes that physiological mechanical stimuli is not merely a regulator of cancer progression, but also an intrinsic anticancer mechanism.