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Cancer Answers is hosted by Dr. Anees Chagpar, Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and Director of The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Dr. Francine Foss, Professor of Medical Oncology. The show features a guest cancer specialist who will share the most recent advances in cancer therapy and respond to listeners questions. Myths, facts and advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment are discussed, with a different focus eachweek. Nationally acclaimed specialists in various types of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment discuss common misconceptions about the disease and respond to questions from the community.Listeners can submit questions to be answered on the program at canceranswers@yale.edu or by leaving a message at (888) 234-4YCC. As a resource, archived programs from 2006 through the present are available in both audio and written versions on the Yale Cancer Center website.

Lonesome George May Not Be The Last Of His Species

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Chion/do%20121116%20Lonesome%20George.mp3

When Lonesome George -  the famous giant Galapagos tortoise - died earlier this year, it was believed that he was the  last of his species.  But Yale University researchers say other tortoises of the same species may still be alive.

During his long life on the Galapagos Island of Pinta, Lonesome George was an icon of the conservation movement.  He was described by the Guinness Book of Word Records as "the rarest living creature".  

Lonesome George died last summer. 

Yale University researchers, who had been trying to save the species from extinction, collected DNA from more than 1600 giant tortoises in a remote location in the Galapagos . And they've now discovered 17 tortoises with genetic material in common with Lonesome George. 

Dr. Danielle Edwards is a postdoctoral research associate at Yale.  "Tortoises have been identified as critically important for the ecological balance for the islands in which they occur in the archipelago. And there are now hopes that we could in fact find pure bred individuals or at least first generation offspring of those pure bred individuals that could well be used to establish a population of tortoises on Pinta Island".

Edwards says Lonesome George has become a symbol of how humans have been involved in a great loss of biodiversity.

"We're still involved in a great loss of biodiversity.  And given that he was the last individual of his species, I guess he just captured the world's imagination of exactly what we've done and perhaps we could turn it around.  Unfortunately for him that wasn't the case, but with these results it kind of suggests that perhaps we can."

Yale researchers plan to return to the Galapagos next year, and hope to begin a captive breeding program to try and restore the species.

The Yale study is published in the journal Biological Conservation.

Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a longtime reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and Here And Now. Diane spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.

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