Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41960904›Full record

ReviewMolecular oncology2026

Insights into a long life without cancer: The case of the bowhead whale.

Inés Paniagua, Johanna A Joyce

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Inés PaniaguaDepartment of Fundamental Oncology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Johanna A JoyceDepartment of Fundamental Oncology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6332-2598

Funding

Ludwig Institute for Cancer ResearchUniversity of Lausanne
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Long-lived and large-bodied organisms face an inherent challenge: The more cells they contain and the longer they live, the greater the cumulative risk of acquiring mutations that can drive cancer. Yet, paradoxically, cancer incidence does not always scale with size or lifespan-a phenomenon known as Peto's paradox. This observation implies that some species have evolved highly effective anticancer mechanisms that preserve cellular and tissue integrity over long lifespans. Whales, which combine extreme longevity with vast numbers of cells, exemplify this paradox. In this commentary, we discuss a recent study showing that a key contributor to bowhead whales' exceptional lifespan and cancer resistance is their superior genome maintenance capacity. We further discuss DNA repair as a determinant of longevity in other long-lived species and explore how these naturally occurring mechanisms could be harnessed to improve genome integrity, reduce cancer risk, and promote healthy aging in humans.

Indexed as

Bowhead WhaleLongevityNeoplasmsAgingAnimalsDNA RepairGenomic InstabilityHumanscancer resistanceCIRBPDNA repairgenome stabilitylongevityPeto's paradox

Identifiers

PMID41960904
PMCPMC13238605

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.