Connick et al in ABC News Australia:
Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in people, and case numbers are rising. At current rates, about one in two Australians can expect a cancer diagnosis by the age of 85. Vets, livestock farmers, pet owners and anyone who spends time around animals will also know that cancer can strike a whole range of creatures. But did you know it’s not just a disease in the animal kingdom?
Plants can get cancer too.
While cancer doesn’t affect plants like it does us, it can cause costly problems for horticultural and agricultural growers. All cancers begin when one cell or a few cells in an organism start growing uncontrollably. In humans and other animals, new healthy cells grow in an orderly and regulated way to replace damaged or dead cells. This keeps our organs and tissues functioning the way they should. But sometimes cells with mistakes in their genetic blueprint (or genome) don’t stop multiplying, and if they clump together, they form a tumour. Bits of that tumour can break away and spread via the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other parts of the body and form new tumours. This process is known as metastasis.
More here.
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