Researchers discover evidence of ancient Egyptians attempting to understand and treat cancer over 4,000 years ago through skull analysis, shedding light on early medical practices and the history of cancer management.
Ancient Egyptians Attempted Cancer Treatments 4,000 Years Ago
Researchers have discovered evidence suggesting that ancient Egyptians tried to understand and treat cancer over 4,000 years ago. They found cutmarks on the skull of a male individual, aged around 30 to 35, associated with a large lesion believed to be caused by a cancerous growth. Additionally, 30 smaller lesions across the skull indicated the cancer was spreading.
Dr. Tatiana Tondini from the University of Tübingen in Germany and Prof. Edgard Camaros from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain proposed that the cutmarks could signify an early form of surgical intervention or a post-mortem autopsy to study the disease. This unique evidence suggests a significant attempt by ancient Egyptian medicine to explore or treat cancer.
The study, published in “Frontiers in Medicine,” also included analysis of another skull, more than 2,000 years old, from a female individual over 50. This skull showed a large lesion indicative of cancer and two healed traumatic injuries.
These findings suggest that while cancer is often considered a modern disease influenced by environmental factors, it also affected ancient civilizations. Skulls used in the research come from the University of Cambridge’s Duckworth Collection, one of the UK’s largest collections of human remains. The study aims to enhance the understanding of the history and evolution of cancer.
Prof. Camaros emphasized that cancer has been present since the early stages of human history, even affecting dinosaurs. Future research will further investigate how ancient societies managed cancer.