In theory, large animals with long life spans such as whales and elephants, should have high rates of cancer. But in fact, what we expect to see isn't what happens. Cancer occurs less frequently in these mammals than we would expect it to.
Scientists in a range of studies are comparing the genetic information of these creatures to see what it is that keeps cancer at bay. Joshua Schiffman, a pediatric oncologist at the University of Utah, says "People are smart, but nature is much smarter. Nature has figured out the solutions to some of our health problems over hundreds of millions of years of evolution."
It's important to place the conservation of animals as a high priority given not only their beauty, but also the knowledge their DNA holds.
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As Elephants and Whales Disappear, They Take Valuable Cancer Clues With Them