Parasitic cancer

A parasitic cancer or transmittable cancer is a cancer cell or cluster of cancer cells that can be transmitted from animal to animal. Cancer is not normally a contagious disease, but there are two known exceptions. One is in dogs, and the other is in the Tasmanian Devil. These cancers have a relatively stable genome as they are transmitted. [1]. Because of their transmission, it was initially thought that both diseases were caused by the transfer of viruses, in the manner of cervical cancer caused by HPV.

• Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is a transmittable parasitic cancer in the Tasmanian Devil. It was described in the scientific literature in 1995.
• Canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is sexually transmitted cancer between dogs. It was experimentally transplanted between dogs in 1876 by M.A. Novinsky (1841-1914). A single malignant clone of CTVT cells has colonized dogs worldwide. It represents the oldest known malignant cell line in continuous propagation^[1].

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