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> Tapeworms can transmit their cancer cells to humans This is freaky stuff! They're not actually sure where the cancer cells came from. They're definitely canc
by stephengillie 11y ago
> Tapeworms can transmit their cancer cells to humans
This is freaky stuff! They're not actually sure where the cancer cells came from. They're definitely cancer-like, but they're not necessarily human cells.
I'd never thought of cancer as contagious before.
- seiferteric 11y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_facial_tumour_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_facial_tumour_disease
- pygy_ 11y agoCancer is usually not contagious for the same reason grafts are rejected. Homozygous twins could catch one another's cancer. Tasmanian devils have such a reduced gene pool that they suffer from a contagious form of facial cancer. In this case, I suppose the immunosuppressive abilities of the worm allowed its cancer to infect its host.
- nshepperd 11y agoThe patient also had HIV, which explains why the cells were able to multiply.
- pygy_ 11y agoIndeed, that definitely helped (I didn't read TFA). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonally_transmissible_cancer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonally_transmissible_cancer has other interesting examples, including the case of a surgeon who caught his patient's cancer after getting injured during the surgery.