Do plants get cancer?
by 
Erin Albrecht
ANSWERS: 4
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Yes. A plant will only respond to a plant carcinogen or at least a compound which may induce 'cancer' in a plant. Usually the response will be a gall or abnormal amount of plant cells formed at a specific site affected by the carcinogenic agent. For example some galls on plants are a form of plant cancer caused by a wasp. However not all compounds which cause cancer in humans or animals will cause the plant to also have a cancer. Plant cancer causing compounds may not affect humans or animals. http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec96/845497420.Bt.r.html
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Plants don't get secondary spread of cancer the way humans do though. Our cancers travel through the blood stream to spread to other parts of the body - hence the term 'riddled with cancer.' Plants do have a transport system (the xylem and phloem) but their cells are not transported by it as our red and white blood cells are. Only water and solutes are transported thus the cancers are contained to the parts of the plant in which they start and generally manifest themselves as growths on the trunk and branches.
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well cancer is caused by the cells just devouring and destroying other cells. Plants do have cells so I guess its possible.
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Wow, I didnt know that!! Very interesting, thanks for asking. +4
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