Why Elephants Rarely Get Cancer

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

Why elephants rarely get cancer:

Elephants - the world's largest land mammal with a lifespan of up to 70 years - have puzzled experts by rarely being struck down with the illness.

Scientists from the University at Buffalo have now revealed elephants have multiple copies of tumour-suppressing genes, all of which "contribute probably a little bit to cancer resistance".

[...] Better understanding natural cancer resistance may help in the development of new treatments, the scientists hope.

The disease arises when genetic mutations cause individual cells to grow in an uncontrolled way.

A longer life creates more opportunities for these mutations to take place, hence why cancers are more common among the elderly.

Elephants - with their lengthy lifespan and gargantuan frame - rarely develop the disease, however.

[...] "One of the expectations is as you get a really big body, your burden of cancer should increase because things with big bodies have more cells," said study author Dr Vincent Lynch.

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