Cancer Questions

[ApertureScience]

1. Are certain ponies more susceptible to cancer than others?  I've seen it on a lot of Big Brothers (especially Barnicle), but I've seen plenty of earlier ponies (Minty, Applejack, etc.) that had nothing.

2.  Are there any examples of non-G1 ponies having cancer?

3.  This is more of a think-about-it, it's-your-opinion question:  do you think that the change in plastic in non-G1 ponies will protect ponies from cancer (either forever or temporarily)?  Remember the G1s have perhaps the softest plastic, and all generations after are considerably harder.

Thank you for your answers!

[hathorcat]

You will probably get lots of different answers from different people! So this is a great way to try and put everything together

1. Are certain ponies more susceptible to cancer than others?  I've seen it on a lot of Big Brothers (especially Barnicle), but I've seen plenty of earlier ponies (Minty, Applejack, etc.) that had nothing.
Yes, I certainly believe some plastics are more prone - the BB as you mention, the second edition rainbow ponies, Gingerbread from the TEs, the Mountain Boys Thundercloud & Sunburst, Starshine from the Regenbogen set [she is one of the worst!], Ringlets from the Brush n Grow set, Baby Graffiti from the Peek A Boos, TAF Nightglider


2.  Are there any examples of non-G1 ponies having cancer?
As cancer is a result of ageing plastic, I dont think any G2, G3 are old enough to as yet have such a breakdown and then discolouration of plastic - its possible, but I dont recall anyone ever coming across an actual example

3.  This is more of a think-about-it, it's-your-opinion question:  do you think that the change in plastic in non-G1 ponies will protect ponies from cancer (either forever or temporarily)?  Remember the G1s have perhaps the softest plastic, and all generations after are considerably harder.
Do you mean do you think later gens will not have problems because they are made of a different plastic? No - all plastic is subject to ageing no matter how it is manufactured as ageing = breakdown. And over time all plastic will breakdown. The slightly different plastics may mean they age/breakdown slower or in a different way but they will still age over years or decades.

[hyenacub]

Big brothers have harder plastic...I wonder if that's the reason so many have problems.

[ApertureScience]

Wait, so it is breakdown of the plastic?  I've read elsewhere that it was caused by bacteria...  Hmm...

Surely there must be a way to preserve them.  Handling them with clean hands and protecting them from moisture and the sun, perhaps?  What are some other ways to prevent cancer?

[hathorcat]

Wait, so it is breakdown of the plastic?  I've read elsewhere that it was caused by bacteria...  Hmm...

Surely there must be a way to preserve them.  Handling them with clean hands and protecting them from moisture and the sun, perhaps?  What are some other ways to prevent cancer?

Different people have come to different conclusions on the cause - the wildly held belief seems to be that bacteria cause the initial breakdown - the breakdown leads to "staining" in the plastic which is the cancer. However, it is a little subjective as to whether the bacteria starts the breakdown or if the breakdown starts and then bacteria appears. No one really knows that one 100%.

I actually think its more to do with the breakdown of fire retardant chemicals in the pony and bromide staining but thats a whole other discussion and only a conclusion I have reached recently after a lot of research. At the moment the majority go with the bacteria cause as someone has done research to show dead bacteria at the heart of a cancer mark on one pony.

To preserve them? Maybe...but no matter what plastic will breakdown and the poorer it is in quality the faster it will degrade. You could lock them out of sight of the sun in a moisture/temperate controlled environment but personally I find that a bit extreme. I would just make sure they are not in direct sunlight and dont get overexposed to humid conditions but thats more to prevent fading and the potential build up of any nasty molds.

Its maybe not so much how the ponies are taken care of once they are in the hands of collectors but more what they have been through in the previous 30 years that could be their "condition" issue.