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Colombian doctors had tried to diagnose the 41-year-old man in 2013.
He had what appeared to be normal tumours, some more than 4 cm across, in his lungs, liver and elsewhere in his body.
But on closer inspection the cancerous cells were clearly not human - they were tiny at just a tenth of the size of a human cell.
Eventually, molecular testing identified high levels of tapeworm DNA in the tumours and the reaction was "complete disbelief" from Dr Muehlenbachs.
The worm tissue in question came from dwarf tapeworm - Hymenolepis nana - a specialism of Dr Peter Olson from the Natural History Museum.
"There is something very special about this species," he told the BBC, "It is able to carry out its whole lifecycle in one host and that is absolutely unique."
Around 90% of the worm's body is given over to reproduction as it spews out thousands of eggs into the gut every day.
Rather than the worm getting cancer, it is thought one of these eggs penetrated the lining of the intestines, mutated and ultimately became cancerous.
A man was told he had only 30 minutes to live by doctors, after a tapeworm was found in his brain.
Mr Ortiz was taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Centre after suffering with the "worst headache" of his life. A brain scan revealed a live tapeworm was living inside his brain causing the pain.
The 26-year-old student was told he only had about 30 minutes to live by doctors and needed immediate surgery to remove the tapeworm.
Ortiz’ neurosurgeon, Dr. Soren Singel said “it was a close call” and Ortiz was lucky he went to hospital when he did.
The surgeons put Ortiz into a coma to perform the surgery. Using a camera, they discovered a sac of larvae from the tapeworm inside the brain.
Around 90% of the worm's body is given over to reproduction as it spews out thousands of eggs into the gut every day. Rather than the worm getting cancer, it is thought one of these eggs penetrated the lining of the intestines, mutated and ultimately became cancerous.
originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: gmoneystunt
Yes, things cause cancer, the thing is here the man got the worm cancer, not cancer caused by the worm.
Rather than the worm getting cancer, it is thought one of these eggs penetrated the lining of the intestines, mutated and ultimately became cancerous.
I'm going to go hide under a rock now. And probably puke.