Inducing cancer to enemy politicians, spies, world-leaders

Would a state be able (with currently available technology) to cause cancer to its enemies, which it can't silence in a different way? (e.g. staged accidents, assassinations, imprisonment)

Hugo Chavez said regarding his cancer:

It would not be strange if they had developed the technology to induce cancer and nobody knew about it until now ... I don't know. I'm just reflecting

What he is missing is that the odds of a person getting cancer are about 50%, with 90% of cancers occurring after the age of 45. The cancers he refers too could be explained by sheer luck.

But then again mice with suppressed immune systems, can easily be infected with cancer.

The catch is:

• it must be done without physical contact with the victim
• the cancer has to develop fast enough (within a few years or less)
• the operation must go (relatively) unnoticed by the victim. So, no Acute Radiation Sickness (ARS) allowed.

For example, by exposing the victim to carcinogens (viruses, radiation, etc) and at the same time irradiating regularly the victim with not-too-high doses with x-ray lasers from a large distance in order to keep its immune system suppressed. The radiation could come in bursts every few weeks or months, in order to avoid ARS.

Perhaps the carcinogens can be skipped if the immune system is kept suppressed for too long. For example AIDS patients have higher chances of getting specific cancers:

People infected with HIV are several thousand times more likely than uninfected people to be diagnosed with Kaposi sarcoma

Bonus question:

• Any counter-measures for this type of stealthy-assassination? A detection of radiation would be considered a counter-measure, since it would no longer be stealthy.

Note: The answer to the main question should include as many details as possible regarding the methods that could be used, using only currently available technology, or technology that is very likely to be available within a couple of years from now.

Also, the method doesn't have to always work; 30% chance of causing cancer would still be enough.

posted about 8 years ago

Fermi paradox‭

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