So, is pony cancer contagious?

[Ponygeek]

I've been doing some reading on pony cancer.  I am wondering if it is contagious?  I have a few ponies in my collection that have a cancer spot or two and now I'm worried that my whole herd will become infected 
What has everyone's experiences been with pony cancer?  Do you think it is contagious, yes or no?

[ColdRuru]

I think not. I've got a few ponies with tiny cancer/age spots for years and they always been stored with my other ones without any spreading.

[MerryAnvil]

I have a few ponies with pony cancer, but from my experience, no, it isn't contagious. I've personally never had any problems with it spreading to other ponies, and I store all my ponies together and have done so for many years.

[Safflower]

Oof, this debate! Age spots are not contagious. (I use the term age spots because cancer can be insensitive) I think the reason people still believe it's contagious is because they are caused by breakdown of the plastic. If people's environment causes the plastic to break down, their ponies might develop age spots. If they have an already affected pony in their herd... Well, you can see how one might put two and two together. But no, they aren't contagious. One pony can't cause another pony to break down. Don't be afraid, you don't need to quarantine your ponies!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

It's not contagious, but it is a symptom of a pony that has been stored in a way so as to speed the deterioration process up. 

If this is a secondhand pony you have that has developed it, you have  no way of knowing its life before you.  Maybe it sat in a hot car backseat or went to the beach, maybe it was kept inside and only looked at by a collector, you have no idea. If it's been your pony for years and years, then maybe it is your storage or display method/area. 

Or maybe the age spots are just that, that time has caught up with this particular pony at last, and now the deterioration process is starting.

But keeping a pony with age spots next to one that doesn't?  Unless it's your display area/climate that is the problem, no it isn't contagious.

[Taffeta]

Yeah, I think people are trying to move away from using the c word as it's generally considered insensitive, not to mention extremely vague in actually explaining the condition. Not a fan of any jargon term, personally, as it can help mask what a flaw actually is and how to hopefully minimise it.

Heat definitely has detrimental effects on ponies and LBS makes some excellent points about that. I think the contagious thing began as a rumour because sometimes mould gets into the plastic and that can leave discolouration/ residue that resembles age spots. Mould can obviously spread if the conditions for it are right.

[ColdRuru]

Yeah, I think people are trying to move away from using the c word as it's generally considered insensitive, not to mention extremely vague in actually explaining the condition. Not a fan of any jargon term, personally, as it can help mask what a flaw actually is and how to hopefully minimise it.

Did you now wich word we are supposed to use instead?
I've lost my father from a cancer but still it has never bothered me to use the word for ponies as well, a "disease" is a "disease", even for plastic. But yes, I understand it can hurt feelings.

[Taffeta]

Yeah, I think people are trying to move away from using the c word as it's generally considered insensitive, not to mention extremely vague in actually explaining the condition. Not a fan of any jargon term, personally, as it can help mask what a flaw actually is and how to hopefully minimise it.

Did you now wich word we are supposed to use instead?
I've lost my father from a cancer but still it has never bothered me to use the word for ponies as well, a "disease" is a "disease", even for plastic. But yes, I understand it can hurt feelings.

It came up in that discussion because there are enough ponypeople have lost family members to the real disease or know people who are battling it, and really, there isn't a comparison between that real life and a toy pony deteriorating. I think it's just generally insensitive to use as a term for something so trivial in the real world bigger picture.

I've had a lot of my family affected by the disease too, but I actually find the term more unnecessary than directly offensive to me. Because I know other people do get upset because of it, though, I think it's probably better to avoid it. It's difficult to know how other people will feel or what they are going through.

For me, my frustration is rather that it doesn't describe anything related to what happens to ponies when they deteriorate, so it's not a very informative term. But as I said, I am not a fan of jargon for pony flaws. My policy is to describe what I see rather than try to label it with a 'known term', that way nobody is offended and nobody gets a nasty surprise because someone has mistaken one jargon term for another.

I guess what I'm saying is that there isn't a term that we're 'supposed to use' in replacement. There doesn't need to be a term at all. Just an awareness that ponies age and deteriorate. It's much better to try to figure out what contributes to deterioration of all kinds than it is to try and label things, especially if those labels ultimately end up hurting someone's feelings unnecessarily.

[Ponygeek]

I didn’t mean to upset anybody by using the term.  I honestly thought that’s what it’s called and they best way to easily convey what condition I was trying to describe.  It wasn’t meant to upset anybody and I didn’t even think of it upsetting anyone in that way.  I’ll consider words more carefully in the future.

[Taffeta]

It's ok, Ponygeek. A lot of people still use it. It's just that since it does cause some people offence and upset, more and more folk are trying to move away from it

[ColdRuru]

Yes don't worry, even me I still use this word after all.
But it's true it may be better to found another way to describe the problem.

And also, Taffeta, don't worry I now that plastic disease is not the same as living creature disease, of course. Just to say that even if I suffered from what cancer can do (and believe me, I'm really mad and sad about that ugly thing), I still can use the word personnaly but will be glad to change it too.
Thanks for letting us know!

[Safflower]

Personally, I use the words age spots. I haven't really heard another term? Or at least I don't remember (lol) And don't worry Ponygeek, now you know

And like Taffeta said, it's unnecessary. I don't even know where it came from or why it spread to be a widely used term. Honestly, how does a deteriorating pony thing correlate to a sensitive medical thing?

[BlackCurtains]

One pony can't cause another pony to break down.

This isn't entirely true. Plasticizer leak can cause a chain reaction because of the vapors it releases. That's why if you put something that's leaking in a plastic bag or storage container it speeds up the process.

edit: Also, and this is a personal issue of mine, but plastic doesn't "break down". Ever. That's what makes plastic plastic

[MerryAnvil]

I wasn't aware of that change in terms, apologies. I've only ever seen the pony cancer thing, as it was the common term when I first started collecting. I'll just use age spots from now on though, as it does make more sense in terms of the materials involved.

[Safflower]

One pony can't cause another pony to break down.

This isn't entirely true. Plasticizer leak can cause a chain reaction because of the vapors it releases. That's why if you put something that's leaking in a plastic bag or storage container it speeds up the process.

edit: Also, and this is a personal issue of mine, but plastic doesn't "break down". Ever. That's what makes plastic plastic

Whoops, totally forgot about plasticizer leakage for a second! I meant that the development of age spots can't induce it in another pony. Didn't specify... Adding the words 'like that' to the end would probably make more sense. This is what you get when I'm a little too stressed about school lol