Today, heart ailments are the one of the leading causes of death in the young and not-so-young alike. Also in the race, and much ahead probably is cancer. Here, a question arises; why is this essential component of anatomy such an unwelcoming host to the leading cause of death for all age groups? There are over 100 different types of cancer that occur in various parts of the body – each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected Cardiac primary tumours, the ones that originate in the heart itself, are extremely rare. In published autopsy series, the high-end incidence of such tumours is about one quarter of one percent. The majority of diagnosed cardiac tumours are benign. In adults, a somewhat mushy, gelatinous type called a myxoma is the most common; in infants and children, rhabdomyomas predominate, typically associated with the syndrome tuberous sclerosis. Malignant heart tumours are most often metastases from primary tumours in nearby organs, such as the kidneys or lungs. [AdsWithin] Compared to other forms, the field of heart cancer hardly has any clinical trial results, meta-analyses, or treatment guidelines available. This is because, although the heart may be the ultimate emblem of love and compassion, it also has another distinction: a near immunity to cancer.
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This is a fortunate fact in life given the importance of the heart in a human body. Myocyte- The Saviour The heart is a muscle laden organ, and a copious & highly specialized cell in this organ is the cardiac Myocyte. Unlike other damaged organs, the heart seems mostly incapable of mending injured tissue. And that, according to leading cardiac researchers, is because the cells that compose the muscle itself, cardiac myocytes, are terminally differentiated. In simple words, these cells reach a point very early on in a person’s life where they permanently exit the cell cycle and stop dividing. Thereafter, further growth occurs by cell size expansion and not through cell division. This differs, for instance, from the epithelial cells that line other organs, which, in response to certain stimuli, actively divide and, when necessary, grow in number. This particular phenomenon is like a double edged sword for the body. The myocytes are not only prevented from re-entering the cell cycle in order to multiply, but are also barred from entering the same cycle for the restoration of damaged tissue. This explains why the human heart ‘s hostility towards the formation of a tumour. With little or no proliferation activity taking place in the heart, the issue of cell abnormality does not arise. Given the extreme rarity of heart cancer cases, not much research can really be carried out in this area of medicine. The best way to treat patients is also an empirical data which is difficult to be gathered here. The best way to deal with heart cancer cases as of now according to doctors is to lead patients to centres which are reasonably experienced in handling such cases.
