Almost 20 years ago, the first case of devil facial tumor disease – a form of contagious cancer among Tasmanian devils – was discovered, a cancer that is threatening to push the animals to the point of extinction. Now, a team of researchers has uncovered a second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils, suggesting such a disease is more common than previously believed.

Share on Pinterest A second form of contagious cancer in Tasmanian devils has been discovered, indicating transmissible cancer may be more common than previously thought.

Image credit: Gregory Woods



First author Dr. Ruth Pye, from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania, Australia, and colleagues publish their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Tasmanian devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, weighing up to 12 kg (26.5 lbs) and growing up to 30 inches in length. While the mammals could once be found roaming around various regions of Australia, they are now only found on the island state of Tasmania.

In May 2009, the Australian Government declared the Tasmanian devil to be an endangered species – a tragedy that has resulted from devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). Since the discovery of this disease in 1996, the Tasmanian devil population has declined more than 90% in some areas.

DFTD is characterized by cancerous tumors that grow around the face, mouth and neck. The cancer is spread between Tasmanian devils through biting, and once infection takes place, the disease spreads rapidly throughout the body, causing death within months.

DFTD is one of four contagious cancers that have been discovered to date; the other three forms have been identified in dogs, soft-shell clams and Syrian hamsters. According to the researchers, transmissible cancers arise when cancer cells develop the ability to spread beyond the host’s body to the body of a new host.

Now, Dr. Pye and colleagues have uncovered another form of contagious cancer in Tasmanian devils that they say is genetically distinct from DFTD.