The History of Cancer

By njmiller04
  • 100

    3000 BC - 1500 BC

    Cancer History The oldest known description of human cancer is found in an Egyptian seven papyri or writing written between 3000-1500 BC. Two of them, known as the "Edwin Smith" and "George Ebers" papyri, contain details of conditions that are consistent with modern descriptions of cancer. The Edwin Smith Papyrus, describes 8 cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast. The document acknowledged that there is no treatment for this

  • Immunotherapy Development

    Immunotherapy HistoryIn the 1800s, a doctor noticed that patients with cancer who developed infections fared better than cancer patients who didn't, perhaps because the infections kicked the immune system into gear. He even started exposing cancer patients to certain bacteria, which did help some of them. With the development of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, this treatment fell out of favor. But researchers are once again investigating the use of immunotherapy to treat cancer.

  • Radiation Development

    radiation therapyThe first attempted x-ray treatment was by Victor Despeignes, a French physician who used them on a patient with stomach cancer. In 1896, he published a paper with the results: a week-long treatment was followed by a diminution of pain and reduction in the size of the tumor, though the case was ultimately fatal. The results were inconclusive, because the patient was concurrently being given other treatments.[9] Freund's first experiment was a tragic failure; he applied x-rays to a naevus in orde

  • During World War I

    Caner Development- chemotherapy The first drug used in treating cancer is an accidental discovery. During the World War II, mustard gas was used as a warfare agent. It was discovered that individuals who were accidentally exposed to mustard gas had low WBC counts. It was reasoned that an agent with such an effect on the rapidly-dividing WBC could have the same effect on cancer cells too. As a result, the drug was intravenously used to treat individuals with late-stage lymphomas with dramatic early results. Read more: History

  • Stem Cell Transplant Development

    Stem Cell TransplantGeorges Mathé, a French oncologist, performed the first European bone marrow transplant in 1959 on five Yugoslavian nuclear workers whose own marrow had been damaged by irradiation caused by a Criticality accident at the Vinča Nuclear Institute, but all of these transplants were rejected.[3][4][5][6][7] Mathé later pioneered the use of bone marrow transplants in the treatment of leukemia.[7]

  • Cancer Fact

    FactIn 1994, 1.2 million new cancer cases were added to the more than eight million people in the U.S. who have already been diagnosed with cancer.

  • Facts

    FactRelative survival rates have risen to 66 percent in 2002, up from 51 percent in 1977

  • Cancer Fact

    FactIn 2008, cervical cancer was the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. An estimated 529,800 were diagnosed, with over 85% of those diagnosed in developing countries.h

  • Cancer Fact

    FactOne new case of prostate cancer arises every two and a half minutes. Every 17 minutes, a man dies from prostate cancer.

  • Major Breakthrough

    BreakthroughScreening with flexible sigmoidoscopy reduces colorectal cancer deaths. A large American study, involving 154,000 patients with a median follow-up of 11.9 years, showed a significant decrease in the incidence of colorectal cancer (reduced by 21%) and death (26%) (N Engl J Med. 2012;366;2345-2357). This study, hailed as a landmark trial, confirmed benefits seen in previous British and Italian studies, and has prompted much discussion about how flexible sigmoidoscopy compares with colonoscopy...

  • New Detection Option for Breast Cancer

    New DetectionAdvances in screening technologies -- including digital mammograms -- combined with a better understanding of who is at highest risk means doctors are able to find cancers earlier -- and prevent more women from dying.

  • Major Breakthrough in Cancer

    BreakthroughPreoperative chemo and radiation for esophageal cancers. A phase 3 trial of 366 patients with cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction showed that preoperative treatment with chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) plus radiation, followed by surgery, yielded substantial benefits, compared with surgery alone (N Engl J Med. 2012;366:2074-2084). Patients who had preoperative treatment survived for twice as long (median overall survival, 49 vs 24 months), and 29% had a complete remiss