Natural Selection and Cancer

Science writer Carl Zimmer, who also writes The Loom, has a fantastic piece in the January 2007 issue of Scientific American (not yet online for nonsubscribers) discussing natural selection and its role in cancer development.

Here’s the overview on cancer evolution:

• Natural selection has only a limited ability to prevent cancer. It has provided some defenses, but these tend to delay the disease until late in life rather than eliminating it entirely.
• In addition, evolutionary forces have apparently favored some genes that can contribute to cancer’s development or aggressiveness.
• An understanding of cancer’s evolutionary history.and how individual tumors evolve in the body.could suggest fresh angles of attack on the disorder.

PS The picture is of a collection of Charles Darwin’s four great books: Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals.

Tags: cancer, carl zimmer, natural selection evolution, charles darwin, diseases, illness, health