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. 2024 Mar 31;65(1):E93-E97.
doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2024.65.1.3221. eCollection 2024 Mar.

A historical and palaeopathological perspective on cancer

Francesco M Galassi  1 , Elena Varotto  2 , Mauro Vaccarezza  3   4 , Mariano Martini  5 , Veronica Papa  6   7
Affiliations

A historical and palaeopathological perspective on cancer

Francesco M Galassi et al. J Prev Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Cancer is often wrongly considered to be a modern disease in many popular medical venues. Cancers have been known to humanity since ancient times. In fact, its antiquity can be identified through the application of palaeopathological methodologies. The present perspective demonstrates by means of a historical and palaeopathological analysis how oncological manifestations were present long before the emergence of anatomically modern humans and addresses the epidemiological transition from ancient times to the contemporary world. The final section of the article examines breast cancer and its identification in ancient human remains.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Cancer; Epidemiology; Global health; History of medicine; Palaeopathology; Public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Heracles attacked by the Crab and the Lernaean Hydra. White-ground Attic lekythos, ca. 500-475 BC (Wikipedia Commons- Public domain).
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