Evolved dependence is a process through which one species becomes ‘dependent’ on another following a long evolutionary history of interaction. This happens when adaptations selected in the first species for interacting lead to fitness costs when the second species is not encountered. Evolved dependence is frequent in host–parasite interactions, where hosts may achieve a higher fitness in the presence of the parasite than in its absence. Since oncogenic manifestations are (i) ubiquitous across multicellular life, (ii) involved in parasitic-like interactions with their hosts, and (iii) have effectively driven the selection of numerous adaptations, it is possible that multicellular organisms display evolved dependence in response to oncogenic processes. We provide a comprehensive overview of the topic, including the implications for cancer prevention and treatment.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	cancer, ecology, evolution
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Evolutionary Biology
Research Field:	Host-Parasite Interactions
Objective Division:	Environment
Objective Group:	Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species
Objective Field:	Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species at Regional or Larger Scales
UTAS Author:	Hamede, R (Dr Rodrigo Hamede Ross)
UTAS Author:	Ujvari, B (Dr Beata Ujvari)
ID Code:	126020
Year Published:	2018
Deposited By:	Zoology
Deposited On:	2018-05-18
Last Modified:	2019-02-28
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