A provocative new book by Loyola Medicine radiation oncologist James S. Welsh, MD, “Sharks Get Cancer, Mole Rats Don’t: How Animals Could Hold the Key to Unlocking Cancer Immunity in Humans,” explores how animals can help us understand how the immune system can be used to fight cancer.
Dr. Welsh explores fascinating examples of how, in both animals and humans, the immune system in some cases effectively kills tumor cells, while in other cases cancer cells escape detection. He also explains how, contrary to popular belief, it’s possible to catch cancer -- as in the case of Tasmanian devils (marsupials in Australia the size of small dogs).
Tasmanian devils are on the verge of extinction due to a virulent form of contagious cancer. Similarly, clams on the Atlantic seaboard are vanishing due to a contagious leukemia transmitted in sea water. Dogs can contract a contagious cancer as well, but usually overcome it spontaneously. Thereafter, the dogs become impervious to this type of cancer, providing an intriguing clue about the role of the immune system in cancer.
