else they’d know cancer is not … contagious, broadly transmissable.
I read an interesting NYT article the other day about the discovery of a high rate of skin cancer in catfish in a lake bordering Vermont and Quebec. By looking at the DNA of the catfish and of the tumors, scientists discovered that the DNA of the tumors didn’t resemble their host like you’d expect, but did resemble the tumors found on all the other fish. They realized they were looking at the first transmissible cancer found in fish. The article noted that contagious cancer has also been found in Tasmanian devils, clams and, yes… dogs.
I was vaguely aware that… there are some known instances where cancer actually is transmissable, but usually only in the context of pregnant mother to child.
But… this… … well, shit.
… I guess its not actually possible to 100% rule out ‘my dog gave me colon cancer.’
Still seems quite unlikely… but maybe not strictly completely impossible?
I read an interesting NYT article the other day about the discovery of a high rate of skin cancer in catfish in a lake bordering Vermont and Quebec. By looking at the DNA of the catfish and of the tumors, scientists discovered that the DNA of the tumors didn’t resemble their host like you’d expect, but did resemble the tumors found on all the other fish. They realized they were looking at the first transmissible cancer found in fish. The article noted that contagious cancer has also been found in Tasmanian devils, clams and, yes… dogs.
That… is indeed interesting.
I was vaguely aware that… there are some known instances where cancer actually is transmissable, but usually only in the context of pregnant mother to child.
But… this… … well, shit.
… I guess its not actually possible to 100% rule out ‘my dog gave me colon cancer.’
Still seems quite unlikely… but maybe not strictly completely impossible?