Of Elephants and Other Mammals: A Comparative Review of Reproductive Tumors and Potential Impact on Conservation

Abstract

Reproductive tumors can impact conception, pregnancy, and birth in mammals. These impacts are well documented in humans, while data in other mammals are limited. An urgent need exists to understand the reproductive impact of these lesions in endangered species, because some endangered species have a documented high prevalence of reproductive tumors. This article documents that the prevalence of both benign and malignant neoplasia differs between African and Asian elephants, with Asian elephants more frequently diagnosed and negatively affected by both. The prevalence of these tumors across mammalian species is compared, and impact plus treatment options in human medicine are reviewed to inform decision making in elephants. Evidence suggests that reproductive tumors can negatively impact elephant conservation. Future studies that document reproductive outcomes, including the success of various treatment approaches in elephants with tumors will benefit conservation efforts.

Walking Through Elephant Cancer Resistance: What it can teach us about elephants, genetics and disease defenses

“…Reproductive tumors can cause a big impact on elephant populations since they affect reproductive success. Neoplasias have a negative effect on conception success, pregnancy development and the nature of birth (Abegglen et al, 2022). This is quite an important factor when thinking about evolution, and preserving the species, which becomes important as elephants are an endangered species.…”

“…There are records on elephants under human care getting leiomyomas when reaching older ages, giving insight that this tumor is probably more prevalent in large and older females. On the other hand, there is evidence of an Asian 15-year-old elephant dying from 5-10 cm uterine leiomyomas (Abegglen et al, 2022).…”

Establishment of Primary Adult Skin Fibroblast Cell Lines from African Savanna Elephants (Loxodonta africana)

“…In addition to wildlife conservation, a primary elephant cell line is also highly of interest to the cancer research community because elephants appear to have developed cancer suppression mechanisms over the course of evolution [20][21][22][23][24]. The African elephant is the largest land mammal, with a body mass up to 7000 kg and longevity of up to 60 years in the wild.…”