Cancer selection

Cancer selection can be viewed through the lens of natural selection. The animal host's body is the environment which applies the selective pressures upon cancer cells. The most fit cancer cells will have traits that will allow them to out compete other cancer cells which they are related to, but are genetically different from. This genetic diversity of cells within a tumor gives cancer an evolutionary advantage over the host's ability to inhibit and destroy tumors. Therefore, other selective pressures such as clinical treatments and pharmaceutical treatments are needed to help destroy the large amount of genetically diverse cancerous cells within a tumor. It is because of the high genetic diversity between cancer cells within a tumor that makes cancer a formidable foe for the survival of animal hosts. It has also been proposed that cancer selection is a selective force that has driven the evolution of animals. Therefore, cancer and animals have been paired as competitors in co-evolution throughout time.

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