Oncologist Pokrovsky explained when a person is at risk of contracting cancer from another persontranslated

Contagious cancer, in which malignant cells are transmitted from one organism to another, occurs in some animals and could theoretically occur in humans. However, for such a disease to develop, a combination of extremely rare circumstances is necessary. The director of the Research Institute of Experimental Oncology and Carcinogenesis of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. told Gazeta.Ru about this. Blokhina Vadim Pokrovsky.

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The main condition for tumor transmission is direct contact of cancer cells with the relatively moist epithelial tissue of another person. In this case, the recipient's immune system should be almost identical to that of the patient, like that of identical twins. Another possible option is the presence of severe immunodeficiency. “Otherwise, the tumor will almost certainly be rejected by the recipient’s body,” the specialist explained.

A similar mechanism for the spread of malignant cells is observed in Tasmanian devils. During a bite, a healthy individual can damage the tumor of a sick animal, after which its cells end up on the oral mucosa. A warm and humid environment under certain conditions allows them to maintain the ability to...