[Sasha Zanjani]

Sasha Zanjani asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Hi, I was wondering if plants can get cancer?

What do you think?

[Don_1]

Root vegetables can develope a sort of cancerous growth, but unlike in animals, the growth cannot spread throughout the plant because of the tough cell walls.

I believe these growths are caused by infected soil.

[Nizzle]

Agrobacterium Tumefaciens (or Ground Bacteria that makes tumors) can cause tumor growth on plants and trees. The Tumor mass is undifferentiated callus tissue.
A. Tumefaciens has a plasmid, that is used widely in the biotech world to genetically alter plants.

But as far as real metastasing cancer goes, i don't think plants can have that. It can only get multiple tumors by multiple infections.

[RD]

I can't believe you've got the gall to ask that question.

[Don_1]

I can't believe you've got the gall to ask that question.

Bless you. You did sneeze didn't you, I thought I heard a tissue.