Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Parasitic cancer
Introduction
Overview
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. [2]. 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.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]