Cancer is one of the top fearful diseases of our modern world. Not only the unstoppable progression of the tumor, which tends to slowly lead the patient to death, but as well as the side effects of the conventional treatment, which are irreversible, and sometimes more damaging than the cancer itself. Different sort of beliefs are being circulated.
Some People consider it as a modern medical condition caused by mankind due to their lifestyle and environmental carcinogens; others consider it as one of the diseases that have existed since thousands of years ago. Although an exact answer to this question is not possible, a new discovery has shed more light.
Based on a recent study published on Canadian Press|December 4, 2014, a group of researchershas claimed to discover what seems to be the oldestcancer case in world history. The scientists, among them a Canadian from Saskatchewan, have found Bones in Siberia, which date back 4,500 years ago, have concluded that the remains are the bones of a young man aged between 35 and 45 at the time of his death. Analysis has suggested that the man died from an aggressive lung cancer or prostate cancer that had spread throughout his body.
In cases like this doubt and controversy are always present. To confirm the case, other researchers also analyzed the remains, according to bioarchaeologist Lieverse Angela of the University ofSaskatchewan. All groups of researchers have reached an agreement and confirm the diagnosis was in fact a tumor.
Commenting the discovery, the bioarchaeologist Lieverse Angela stated ” “This is one of — if not the oldest — absolute cases of cancer that we can be really, really confident saying that it’s cancer.
According to the same bioarchaeologist, Angela Lieverse, this discovery contradicts the idea that cancer is a relatively modern disease, that ancient people were living a life free of malignant tumors.It appears she believes that cancer has been around since antiquity, and some non-environmental factors and natural carcinogens played a role in older cancer cases. For instance, gathering around wood fire (which the ancient hunters loved doing) would cause smoke inhalation from the fire, thus could lead to lung cancer.
“We have this perception that cancer was virtually absent from ancient times because people did not have the same lifestyle as ours. They lived in these pure and free of toxic elements environments. They were active and eat natural foods. It was, on the contrary, more common than one would think.”