Study of mammalian cancer - cancer mortality is associated with diet, with mammals eating mammals having the highest cancer related mortal

[Graham49]

Article

Open Access

Published: 22 December 2021

Cancer risk across mammals

Orsolya Vincze, Fernando Colchero, Jean-Francois Lemaître, Dalia A. Conde, Samuel Pavard, Margaux Bieuville, Araxi O. Urrutia, Beata Ujvari, Amy M. Boddy, Carlo C. Maley, Frédéric Thomas & Mathieu Giraudeau

Nature volume 601, pages 263–267 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Cancer is a ubiquitous disease of metazoans, predicted to disproportionately affect larger, long-lived organisms owing to their greater number of cell divisions, and thus increased probability of somatic mutations1,2. While elevated cancer risk with larger body size and/or longevity has been documented within species3,4,5, Peto’s paradox indicates the apparent lack of such an association among taxa6. Yet, unequivocal empirical evidence for Peto’s paradox is lacking, stemming from the difficulty of estimating cancer risk in non-model species. Here we build and analyse a database on cancer-related mortality using data on adult zoo mammals (110,148 individuals, 191 species) and map age-controlled cancer mortality to the mammalian tree of life. We demonstrate the universality and high frequency of oncogenic phenomena in mammals and reveal substantial differences in cancer mortality across major mammalian orders. We show that the phylogenetic distribution of cancer mortality is associated with diet, with carnivorous mammals (especially mammal-consuming ones) facing the highest cancer-related mortality. Moreover, we provide unequivocal evidence for the body size and longevity components of Peto’s paradox by showing that cancer mortality risk is largely independent of both body mass and adult life expectancy across species. These results highlight the key role of life-history evolution in shaping cancer resistance and provide major advancements in the quest for natural anticancer defences.

[ragnar2020]

This has always made sense to me. One shouldn’t eat one’s friends.

[LearnAll]

Any kind of animal fat promotes all kinds of cancer growth..in case of Colon cancer it has been very well established.

[maley2711 in reply to LearnAll]

Lions are doomed.....don't see any veggie fad among them anytime soon?

[Rolphs]

This may have been sited in other posts but I found the video Cancer Treatment: Why a Vegetarian Diet Helps to be a good concise summary and specific reasons someone with PC should consider a plant based diet. It's interesting to me that sugar doesn't seem to be an issue for prostrate cancer like it is for other types of cancer. I think Dr. Scholz's three lines of evidence to argue that a vegetarian or vegan diet is ideal for men with prostate cancer hoping to achieve optimal outcomes provides a strong argument. I guess I'm looking for anything that would even potentially extend my life so I'm a vegan.

[Graham49 in reply to Rolphs]

I think sugar is a problem for cancer. It's not the sugar itself but the insulin spike that sugar causes. There are some good posts on this issue.

[Rolphs in reply to Graham49]

Yes, I've read similar things on insulin spikes. I try to eat protean with my carbs to lesson the effect.

[Rolphs]

I don't know why the Utube video came this way but the title is "Cancer Treatment: Why a Vegetarian Diet Helps" by Dr. Scholz. youtube.com/watch?v=xVsDbUa...(Not working as expected?)

[Lavender22]

My husband has been a vegetarian since he was 19.

[dhccpa in reply to Lavender22]

Well, don't know his full consumption menu but many vegetarians and vegans eat questionable things/products. The whole food plant-based diet with limited added sugar oil or salt is a healthier method. Many vegetarians eat chips, cookies etc. that are unhealthy in other ways.

[Lavender22]

My husband does like pretzels 🙃, but in moderation. Actually, his work (construction diver for 4+ decades) exposed him to a lot of nasty things. His father also had a milder form of PC, but not until he was in his 80’s.

[NotAlwaysSunshine in reply to Lavender22]

My husbands father had prostate cancer and he never shared this with my husband. It's genetics. My guy likes pretzels too! 🙂