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Yet another method of transmission... Contagious cancer

Hutan

Senior Member
Messages
1,099
Location
New Zealand
I'm not too sure what CBT for a clam would involve. But clearly those clams were not maintaining a positive frame of mind and so were susceptible to becoming ill.

Tasmanian devils (cute but feisty marsupials) are being badly affected by a contagious facial cancer. (edit, I see now that the bivalve article mentions Tasmanian devils)

In the mid-1990s, the first signs were observed of the fatal and infectious cancer, Devil Facial Tumour Disease. Sightings of the Tasmanian devil have since declined by more than 70 per cent.
http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/thedisease/bd2717c762779ee8ca2576f1001d0110

Cervical cancer in humans has been shown to be caused by a virus (HPV). It seems to me that it is likely that these other 'contagious cancers' are caused by, or at least require, viruses or other pathogens that have not yet been identified. So, it's not that the cancer is contagious. Rather it is that the pathogen that triggers the cancer (or stops the body from effectively dealing with cancerous cells) is.

But I could well be wrong. Perhaps what those Tasmanian devils really need is to calm down with a bit of mindfulness training and to eat more vegetables.

Edit: I probably am wrong. Seems researchers think the Tasmanian devil cancer is caused by the transmission of the cancer cells themselves (allograft). And hamsters have a contagious cancer too.
From Wikipedia Devil facial tumour disease
Transmissible cancer, caused by a clone of malignant cells rather than a virus, is extremely rare, with only two other known transmissible cancers—canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT), which is sexually transmitted among dogs, and contagious reticulum cell sarcoma of the Syrian hamster,[77] which can be transmitted via mosquito bites of Aedes aegypti.[78] CTVT mutes the expression of the immune response, whereas the Syrian hamster disease spreads due to lack of genetic diversity.[79]

Certainly there is still much to be known.
 
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Skippa

Anti-BS
Messages
841
Cervical cancer in humans has been shown to be caused by a virus (HPV). It seems to me that it is likely that these other 'contagious cancers' are caused by, or at least require, viruses or other pathogens that have not yet been identified. So, it's not that the cancer is contagious. Rather it is that the pathogen that triggers the cancer (or stops the body from effectively dealing with cancerous cells) is.

Jolly good point :thumbsup:
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
"In the mid-1990s, the first signs were observed of the fatal and infectious cancer, Devil Facial Tumour Disease. Sightings of the Tasmanian devil have since declined by more than 70 per cent."

There are fears that the Tasmanian devil could end up extinct due to this. Scientists havent been able to figure it out.

This makes one wonder if a similar thing could easily happen to us humans.. a fatal infectious cancer could suddenly appear out of the blue like it did with the Tassy devils and within 25 years wipe out 70% of us (or who knows it could be even more infectious or dangerous). Kinds of shows how little us humans do know and just how vulnerable we could be to all kinds of deadly illnesses suddenly appearing in us. I dont think its ever been considered about possibly an infectious cancer wiping us all out and some cancers in us still have hugely high depth rates eg pancreatic cancer I think is very high.
 

roller

wiggle jiggle
Messages
775
everything is contagious.
life is a journeyl through infections.
there is nothing healthy out there.
this world is a very hostile place. an eternal pathogenic battlefield.
it kills us.