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The Contagious Taste of Cancer

35 points by Thevet

by lebuffon

5 subcomments

We have one solid example of cancer caused by members of the HPV family. The disease can be transmitted via body fluids and/or contact. So there's that.
My laymans take: Cancer is a disease of the DNA of a cell. Viruses survive by altering cellular DNA. It begs the question: How many other viruses cause cancer?
It also seems clear to me that the virus may not be the sole cause since not everybody gets cancer so it is a multi-variable problem.
Virus + X = cancer
This will be harder to nail down but with modern data tools we should be able to get there.
Makes me wonder: Is the cancer "industry" searching for causes or just after-the-fact treatment?

by airstrike

3 subcomments

Holy nightmare fuel jumpscare. Why would someone do this but at the same time knowing humans of course someone would do this.

by inglor_cz

0 subcomment

Interestingly, there was a recent interest in a case of a surgeon who scratched himself when operating on a cancer patient, and developed cancer himself at the site of the scratch. The cancer was found to be identical to his patient's.
https://surgery.international/surgeon-diagnosed-with-patient...
The case is fairly old, from 1996. It re-surfaced recently.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199611143352004

by mberning

2 subcomments

It doesn’t seem completely out of the question that he could have received a contagious cancer. There are examples in the animal world. I believe Tasmanian devils spread facial tumors through biting. And I have heard dogs have certain transmissible cancers as well.

by delichon

1 subcomments

Samuel Smith appears to have been infected by a fatal meme. I am obnoxiously in favor of free speech, but I can't deny ideas can kill in more ways than Chuck Norris.

by _qua

1 subcomments

Some infections cause cancer-like growths or masses though they're not actually cancer. Though off the top of my head none that I would suspect would survive a trip through stomach acid.