Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is a transmembrane cell–cell adhesion receptor that forms homodimers across junctions and plays a key role in mediating epithelial barrier integrity. CAR can also heterodimerise with receptors on the surface of leukocytes and thus plays an additional role in mediating immune cell transmigration across epithelial tissues. Given the importance of both biological processes in cancer, CAR is emerging as a potential mediator of tumorigenesis as well as a target on cancer cells for viral therapy delivery. However, the emerging, often conflicting, evidence suggests that CAR function is tightly regulated and that contributions to disease progression are likely to be context specific. Here, we summarise reported roles for CAR in the context of cancer and draw on observations in other disease settings to offer a perspective on the potential relevance of this receptor as a therapeutic target for solid tumours.