In article <337137F8.3E2B at bcc.orst.edu>, doganb at bcc.orst.edu wrote:
> Steve J. Upton wrote:
>> > Spirocerca lupi in canids is thought to cause some esophageal > sarcomas,
>> There is a short write-up by William Campbell (Drew U.) in the last
> issue of Parasitology Today (vol.13(5), page 202) which mentions
> Spirocerca lupi causing large granulomas in dogs. This and a few other
> cases are the only reports I've seen of cancer causing parasites, and
> all the others were in lab animals (none in humans). Just thought you
> all might me interested.
There are plenty of parasites (and other infections, for that matter) that
cause granulomas, but a granuloma is an accumulation of inflammatory immune
cells. It is not a cancer, nor in any way related to cancer.
The "oma" at the end which may have mislead you (as in granuloma and
carcinoma) is simply (if I can hazrd a guess) a derivation from the Greek
meaning "body".
Cheers, Mark
