Source: New Scientist
A comprehensive study of 263 species confirms a link between body size and cancer prevalence, contradicting prior research that suggested no such correlation. George Butler and his team at University College London found that larger animals are slightly more likely to develop cancer than smaller ones, with a 1% increase in body mass corresponding to a 0.1% rise in cancer rate among birds and mammals. Reptiles and amphibians showed a much smaller increase.
These findings challenge Peto’s paradox, which states that cancer rates should scale with body size but often don’t. However, researcher Vera Gorbunova notes the correlation is still weak, implying that larger species have evolved mechanisms to suppress cancer. Prior studies highlight genetic adaptations in elephants and whales that improve DNA repair and halt faulty cell division. Understanding these protective mechanisms could inspire new cancer treatments for humans by mimicking nature’s long-tested defenses.