title: Cancer selection.
abstract: Cancers are often thought to be selectively neutral. This is because most of the individuals that they kill are post-reproductive. Some cancers, however, kill the young and so select for anticancer adaptations that reduce the chance of death. These adaptations could reduce the somatic mutation rate or the selective value of a mutant clone of cells, or increase the number of stages required for neoplasia. New theory predicts that cancer selection--selection to prevent or postpone deaths due to cancer--should be especially important as animals evolve new morphologies or larger, longer-lived bodies, and might account for some of the differences in the causes of cancer between mice and men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berks SL5 7PY, UK. a.leroi@ic.ac.uk
authors.forename: Armand M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leroi
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koufopanou
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution; D001947:Breeding; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D002645:Chickens; D002648:Child; D003532:Cyprinodontiformes; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D013045:Species Specificity; D014565:Urogenital Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D014907:Whales
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances