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> given how shortlived they are, they never get the chance to do much evolution

There is a very rare category of cancers for which this is not true, clonally transmissible cancers[1]. They can move from individual to individual like other pathogens. One example is the devil facial tumor disease[2] that has killed around 95% of Tasmanian devils.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonally_transmissible_cancer

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_facial_tumour_disease




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