title: Cancer: A disease at the crossroads of trade-offs.
abstract: Central to evolutionary theory is the idea that living organisms face phenotypic and/or genetic trade-offs when allocating resources to competing life-history demands, such as growth, survival, and reproduction. These trade-offs are increasingly considered to be crucial to further our understanding of cancer. First, evidences suggest that neoplastic cells, as any living entities subject to natural selection, are governed by trade-offs such as between survival and proliferation. Second, selection might also have shaped trade-offs at the organismal level, especially regarding protective mechanisms against cancer. Cancer can also emerge as a consequence of additional trade-offs in organisms (e.g., eco-immunological trade-offs). Here, we review the wide range of trade-offs that occur at different scales and their relevance for understanding cancer dynamics. We also discuss how acknowledging these phenomena, in light of human evolutionary history, may suggest new guidelines for preventive and therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: CREEC Montpellier Cedex 5 France; MIVEGECbUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290 Montpellier Cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacqueline
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Waurn Ponds VIC Australia.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Biro
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Waurn Ponds VIC Australia.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beckmann
authors.affiliation: Ecologie Systématique Evolution Université Paris-Sud CNRS AgroParisTech Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay Cedex France.
authors.forename: Anders Pape
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Moller
authors.affiliation: CREEC Montpellier Cedex 5 France; MIVEGECbUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290 Montpellier Cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renaud
authors.affiliation: BiogéoSciences CNRS UMR 6282 Université de Bourgogne Dijon France.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sorci
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Evolution Ecologie et Paléontologie (EEP) Université de Lille 1 CNRS UMR 8198 groupe d'Ecoimmunologie des Annélides Villeneuve-d'Ascq France.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tasiemski
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Waurn Ponds VIC Australia.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ujvari
authors.affiliation: CREEC Montpellier Cedex 5 France; MIVEGECbUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290 Montpellier Cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thomas
keywords: cancer; life‐history traits; natural selection; trade‐off