Some of the earliest evidence of cancer has been found among fossilised bone tumours, human mummies in ancient Egypt, and ancient manuscripts.The oldest description of cancer was discovered in Egypt and dates back to around 1600 BC. The writings describe tumours of the breast that were treated by cauterization. The term cancer was not used to describe this occurrence. There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians were able to tell the difference between malignant and benign tumors. According to inscriptions, surface tumors were surgically removed in a similar manner as they are removed today.

The word cancer was first used by the Greek physician Hippocrates, considered as the “Father of medicine”. Hippocrates used the Greek terms carcinos and carcinoma to describe the tumours. The words refer to a crab in Greek, and were most likely used as the spread of cancer resembles the shape of a crab. The Roman physician Celsus translated the Greek work to cancer, the Latin word for crab. Galen, a Roman physician and a believer in Hippocrates’ theory of medicine, believed cancer to be curable in the early stages. Galen thought that unhealthy diet and bad climate were directly connected to cancer.

In 1713, Ramazzine observed the virtual absence of cervical cancer among nuns but a high incidence of breast cancer among the same population. This observation led to the discovery of the importance of hormonal factors on cancer. In 1750, John Hunter proposed that cancers should be removed before they spread. His theory has been confirmed and is now common practice.

In 1761, John Hill first made the correlation between tobacco use and cancer. In 1829, Joseph Recamier coined the word metastasis to explain the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. This was an important discovery as it is now known that metastasis causes about 90% of all cancer deaths. The year 1890 saw the first radical mastectomy to remove an entire breast affected by cancer.

In 1895, Roentgen discovered x-rays, one of the greatest technological accomplishments of all time. It made a huge impact on cancer detection and treatment. In 1933, Evarts Ambrose Graham successfully removed a lung from a patient for the first time to treat cancer. In 1946 Louis Goodman discovered chemotherapy, and changed forever the way cancer will be treated.

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