A team of scientists from the University of Utah and Arizona State University said they can explain the lower numbers.
In their search for answers, they combed through elephant DNA and found a few deviations.
Elephants have extra genes that stop tumors long before they form.
They have "at least 40 copies of genes that code for p53, a protein well known for its cancer-inhibiting properties," scientists said. In comparison, humans have only two copies of such genes.
The massive animals also detect damaged cells preemptively, which they then repair or kill.
"Elephants may have a more robust mechanism for killing damaged cells that are at risk for becoming cancerous," the study said.