大象传媒

It is a question that has puzzled scientists for decades: Why are some species more affected by cancer than others?

Naked mole-rats, whales and elephants tend to have low rates of cancer but it is the leading cause of death for dogs and cats.

Alex Cagan is a scientist at The Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge and is leading a study, which hopes to answer that question. He told Newsday: 鈥淭hey might have better ways of protecting their DNA from damage, which could reduce their cancer risk or they may be鈥�living in environments where they鈥檙e less exposed to the causes of cancer.鈥�

(Picture: Shows Southern right whale, eubalaena australis, mother and calf in the Vald茅s Peninsula. Credit: Gerard Soury via Getty Images.)