While most believe that colon cancer is caused by the modern influences of processed foods, a lack of physical activity and obesity -- plus sometimes a mutation of the Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene -- researchers with Tel Aviv University (TAU) say that there could be ancient reasons for the affliction.
That is, pretty startlingly, because the study group has found evidence of colon cancer in an 18th century mummy from Hungary.
The mummy in the study was one of 265 that were excavated in 1995 from crypts in a Dominican church in Vác, Hungary. The crypts had been used from 1731 to 1838 for middle-class clerics and families. Conditions there included constant ventilation, low temperatures and very low humidity -- which meant that about 70 percent of the bodies had become partially or completely mummified. The researchers were interested in testing the well-preserved tissue samples and other archival information.
"Colorectal cancer is among the most common health hazards of modern times," said Dr. Rina Rosin-Arbesfeld, lead author of the study. "And it has a proven genetic background. We wanted to discover whether people in the past carried the APC mutation -- how common it was, and whether it was the same mutation known to us today. In other words: Is the increase in the incidence of cancer the result of man's manipulation of nature alone?" Colorectal cancer originates in either the colon or rectum.
In earlier research, tuberculosis turned up in the corpses. The TAU research team became interested in looking for gene mutations that might be associated with colorectal cancer.
In the study, the scientists employed genetic sequencing to find any mutations in APC genes from the mummies. "Mummified soft tissue opens up a new area of investigation," said Israel Hershkovitz of TAU. "Very few diseases attack the skeleton, but soft tissue carries evidence of disease. It presents an ideal opportunity to carry out a detailed genetic analysis and test for a wide variety of pathogens."
The data found that one of the mummies likely had a cancer mutation. "This means that a genetic predisposition to cancer may have already existed in the pre-modern era," said Ella H. Sklan of TAU. "But we've found this mutation in only one individual so far. Additional studies with a larger sample size should be conducted in order to draw more meaningful conclusions."
The scientists involved in the study are currently setting up a TAU specialized lab for research in ancient DNA.
The findings were published in the Feb. 10 issue of the journal PLOS ONE.
