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Contagious Cancer Found in Dogs

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the heavy-petting dept.

Dan East writes "Scientists in England have gathered definitive evidence that a kind of cancer in dogs, known as Sticker's sarcoma, is contagious. It is spread by tumor cells getting passed from dog to dog through sex or from animals biting or licking each other. Robin Weiss and his colleagues did genetic studies on the tumor cells from 40 dogs with Sticker's sarcoma, collected from five continents, which showed that all the tumor cells are clones of each other. The parent cell probably arose in a domesticated dog of Asian origin — perhaps a husky — hundreds of years ago, and perhaps more than 1,000 years ago. A similarly transmissible cancer has recently been discovered spreading through populations of Tasmanian devils."

23 of 303 comments (clear)

  1. Transmitted through sex? by ArcherB · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great! Now I have to give my dogs a talking-to about using protection before they go to the doggie park!

    I wonder if they will start having puppy prophylactics in a candy dish at pet-smart.

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    1. Re:Transmitted through sex? by MustardMan · · Score: 3, Funny

      Man, am I glad I had my dog's balls chopped off. Nearly all of his humping instinct is now gone... we might have dodged a bullet!

    2. Re:Transmitted through sex? by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 2, Funny

      My two dogs are without C.A. Jones and are still at it now and then.

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    3. Re:Transmitted through sex? by krawz · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hopefully the people at PetSmart will handle the...application...of the aforementioned 'protection', because I know I'm not. Imagine the Want Ad... PetSmart, Inc is now seeking a full-time Canine Fornication Specialist. 1+ year(s) previous CFS experience preferred. Dust off your rubber glove and drop off your application today!

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    4. Re:Transmitted through sex? by oahazmatt · · Score: 3, Funny
      I wonder if they will start having puppy prophylactics in a candy dish at pet-smart.
      Christ, it's hard enough to get them to take their vitamins. Putting one of those on 'em is gonna be a pain.

      "Hold on, boy, there's an air bubble."
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    5. Re:Transmitted through sex? by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny
      Christ, it's hard enough to get them to take their vitamins. Putting one of those on 'em is gonna be a pain.

      "Hold on, boy, there's an air bubble."

      Well, by the time you work out the air-bubble, he might just want a smoke and a cuddle. Then you won't have to worry about him humping strange dogs. :-P

      Cheers
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  2. It happens in humans, too. by Skynet · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPV#Cancer

    Make sure to use protection, Slashdotters!

    oh wait....

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  3. The Punnic Wars, Part 2 by krell · · Score: 3, Funny

    "We had a chance with aids, but we blew it."

    You can say that again.

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    Where were you when the voynix came?
  4. Timmy Didn't Kill Old Yeller by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
    The parent cell probably arose in a domesticated dog of Asian origin -- perhaps a husky -- hundreds of years ago, and perhaps more than 1,000 years ago.
    Tonight, President Bush will go on TV and address the nation saying that recent research has shown that China & North Korea used biological weapons on the United States and its best friends. This will be justification for the preemptive nuclear attacks the United States has planned next week. He's got a real good feeling about this one. It's a slam dunk.
  5. Not Taz!! by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny
    A similarly transmissible cancer has recently been discovered spreading through populations of Tasmanian devils.
    Symptoms include dizziness, slurred speech, and violence toward woodland creatures... especially rabbits.
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  6. In case you needed another reason... by toxcspdrmn · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...not to lick your dog's backside.

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  7. spread the word by Mantooth · · Score: 3, Funny

    teach your kids the dangers of red rocket

  8. If this spreads to cats... by Iphtashu+Fitz · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...then I'm leaving the planet. This was all predicted in the original Planet of the Apes movies...

  9. We did a survey by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 3, Funny

    The dogs said that it was a "Ruff" deal...

    The Tasmanian Devils just spun around quickly, said something completely incomprehensible and blew a rasberry...

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    Summation 2
  10. Re:How are these Cancer Cells? by Lazbien · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's not a tumor...

  11. Re:tasmanian devil & spreading cancer by GweeDo · · Score: 4, Funny

    But who will eat all the pizza rolls?

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  12. Re:It's not even really LIKE a normal cancer... by Gospodin · · Score: 2, Funny
    There's nothing worse than anthropomorphizing your description of cellular mechanics.

    I'll take hyperbole for $1,000, Alex.

    --
    ...following the principles of Heisenburger's Uncertain Cat...
  13. This is a new species of dog... by Andrew00 · · Score: 2, Funny

    which is single-celled, asexual and an obligate parasite of dogs.

  14. Re:How are these Cancer Cells? by NearlyHeadless · · Score: 5, Funny
    It's closest, really, to a parasite, but it's still weirder than that, since it's genetically the same species as its host.
    It's genetically almost identical, but I think we can say this is a new species. It's thus a single-cell species of dog.
  15. Great, another reason not to leave my house... by wwiiol_toofless · · Score: 2, Funny

    Contagious cancer? As if I didn't have a million reasons to stay a pasty, game-addicted, furtive and nervous agoraphobe. If it can happen to our canine brothers, it can happen to us.

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  16. Re:It's not even really LIKE a normal cancer... by Kelson · · Score: 3, Funny
    There's nothing worse than anthropomorphizing your description of cellular mechanics.

    So true. DNA hates it when you do that.

  17. Re:How are these Cancer Cells? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Cancer-hawk disease? Sweet. How about "Oncoraptors"?

    Yeah, I know you mean peregrine as in ambulatory. How about heterometastasizing oncocytes? Then we could call HMOs a type of cancer for real.

    --
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  18. Ssshhhh! by Valdrax · · Score: 4, Funny

    2. I'd choose bark park with a 3/4 life span vs. no fun for a long time and all the other dogs I know agree.

    Sshhh! Sshh! What are you doing? On the internet, no one's supposed to know that you're a dog!

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