Story highlights Elephants rarely get cancer, a surprise for an animal of that size

Scientists say a study of elephant DNA provided some answers

(CNN) Elephants are giant, cancer-battling super creatures that destroy damaged cells long before they become cancerous, scientists say.

In a study released this week, scientists said elephant genes may provide a crucial clue in the fight against human cancer.

The mammoth mammals rarely get cancer, which has long bewildered scientists considering elephants have 100 times as many cells as humans.

"They should be 100 times more likely to have a cell slip into a cancerous state and trigger the disease over their long life span of 50 to 70 years," scientists at the University of Utah said.

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