[decimon]

Ping

[cripplecreek]

Maybe they’re evolutionary drivers.

Sharks are truly ancient critters and are practically immune to cancers of any kind.

[Navy Patriot]

Robert Sanders could probably get some of his fellow UC Berzerkley professors to get endangered species protection for cancerous tumors and cut costs to Obamacare, and make life easy on the death panels.

Just what we need, cancer lifeform philosophy.

[occamrzr06]

You live long enough, you’ll get everything.

Done the cancer thing. Looking forward to arthitis, bad knees, heart disease and alsheimers.

[Rokurota]

Liberals evolved from a bovine colon cancer...that’s why they are so full of bullshi!t.

[cake_crumb]

Only the ones that vote Democrat.

[chris37]

Hmmm cancer a new species?

Read “Infected” by Scott Sigler, then “Contagious” by the same.

Great, great books!

[fightinJAG]

bookmark

[hellbender]

Does this mean that cancers are now eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act?

[Jack Hydrazine]

nanobacteria?

[toothfairy86]

It’s proven that certain viruses cause cancer...for example, human papilloma virus (HPV) causes cervical, oral, and rectal cancer. And the AIDS virus causes Kaposi’s Sarcoma. The difference is that these viruses cause a genetic mutation in the human cells to reproduce at an abnormal rate and develop an atypical cell structure. Although cancerous tumors behave with parasitic activity, they are not a distinct species or distinct life form separate from the host.

[sbMKE]

Cancers are people too, but babies are just cell masses?

Just trying to get this straight.

[Straight Vermonter]

This has been proposed before for a specific line of breast cancer cells that are nearly uncontrollable even in a lab.

[ApplegateRanch]

Are cancers newly evolved species?

When we asked an EPA Endangered Species spokesperson the above question, she immediately answered, "YES! We are declaring them Protected, since each is a unique new species. It will now be illegal for anyone to kill, injure, or harass these wonderful new creatures. Just think of all the money the government will save under Obamacare Comprehensive Healthcare Reform, by not having to pay for any cancer treatments!"

[bert]

This is a great line of thought and I can believe it

The issue then boils down to what initiates the first cells.

If so, it means evolution is alive and well.

[Texas Songwriter]

This paper is a testament to the a priori commitment to prosethelizing the faith of evolution. It is such a reach to move from an uncontrolled mitiotic activity of a cell (which is what a carcinoma is) to defining that as an "organism". We might just as well define uterine fibromyomas, or speenosis, or hemanioma, or sarcoid tumors, or any benign growth as a new organism.

Seeking to be perceived as the smartest people in the room the float this trial balloon, in search of affirmation by science and have it decreed valid.

I would only ask, where is your evidence, scientific evidence, that any tumor, anywhere, at any time on the face of the earth ever gave rise to another species, or is this another 'just so' proposition which will take on credibility by decree of the 'magesterium of science' whose agenda is...allow any possibility...except a theistic first cause for life.