Given its dual role as a component of matrix stiffening and pro-invasive signalling, many recent reports have unsurprisingly linked periostin to cancer promotion and poor survival (Landre et al. 2016; Qin et al. 2016; Sung et al. 2016; Xu et al. 2016; Fukuda et al. 2015) suggesting that it is also a good potential therapeutic target for suppressing cancer development. The gene discussed is POSTN; the disease is cancer.