128128-Thumbnail Image.png

The risk of developing cancer should theoretically increase with both the number of cells and the lifespan of an organism. However, gigantic animals do not get more cancer than humans, suggesting that super-human cancer suppression has evolved numerous times across…

The risk of developing cancer should theoretically increase with both the number of cells and the lifespan of an organism. However, gigantic animals do not get more cancer than humans, suggesting that super-human cancer suppression has evolved numerous times across the tree of life. This is the essence and promise of Peto’s Paradox. We discuss what is known about Peto’s Paradox and provide hints of what is yet to be discovered.

Copyright Statement
    • Reuse Permissions
    • Downloads
    PDF (380.9 KB)
    Download count: 6

    Details

    Title
    • Peto’s Paradox: How Has Evolution Solved the Problem of Cancer Prevention?
    Contributors
    Date Created
    2017-07-13
    Resource Type
  • Text
    • Collections this item is in
    ASU Scholarship Showcase
    Identifier
    • Digital object identifier: 10.1186/s12915-017-0401-7
    • International standard serial number
      1741-7007
    Note
    • The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-017-0401-7

    Citation and reuse

    Cite this item

    This is a suggested citation. Consult the appropriate style guide for specific citation guidelines.

    Tollis, M., Boddy, A. M., & Maley, C. C. (2017). Peto’s Paradox: how has evolution solved the problem of cancer prevention? BMC Biology, 15(1). doi:10.1186/s12915-017-0401-7

    Machine-readable links