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Cancer: Another Threat to Wildlife

Emily Sohn, Discovery News

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In many cases, animal cancers appear more often in places that are more polluted. In beluga whales that live near aluminum smelting facilities in the St. Lawrence River estuary in Quebec, for example, cancer is the second leading cause of death. Fish that live in industrial areas have high levels of skin and liver cancers. And in experiments, brown bullhead catfish that were exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, one of the main pollutants in these areas, rates of skin tumors increased by 38 percent.

Many of these cancers have emerged in just the last decade or two, said Richard Montali, a veterinary pathologist specializing in zoo animals and wildlife at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Wild animals, he said, might serve as a sentinel for toxic substances in the environment that might also threaten people.

"We're all living cells whether you're a lower animal or a human," Montali said. "Wherever there are animal cells, there will be cancers."

Studying cancer in wildlife isn't easy, which helps explain why so little work has been done in the field.

"It's not as simple as making a doctor's appointment and going down the street for a check-up," McAloose said. "We have to actually get to these animals. That can be challenging."

Still, she said, making an effort to monitor and track these diseases will be essential for maintaining the health of animals, people, and the Earth.

Related Links:

Discovery News Blog: Born Animal

Wildlife Conservation Society

Treehugger.com: Cancer Affecting Wildlife

HowStuffWorks.com: Wildlife Conservation