A 3,000-year-old skeleton is the oldest complete example of a human with metastatic cancer, Durham University researchers reveal.
The skeleton was that of a young adult male and was found by a Durham University PhD student in a tomb in modern Sudan in 2013. It dates back to 1200 BC. After conducting an analysis of the bones, researchers confirmed that the individual was suffering from metastatic carcinoma and the cancer had spread to other parts of the body. The discovery is the oldest complete example of metastatic cancer in the archaeological record.
The discovery is very important because even though cancer is one of the world's leading causes of death today, it remains almost absent from nearly all archaeological records compared to other pathological conditions. This absenteeism has led scientists to believe that cancer is a modern disease caused due to modern living and increased longevity. This discovery confirms that cancer was already present in the Nile Valley in ancient times.
"Very little is known about the antiquity, epidemiology and evolution of cancer in past human populations apart from some textual references and a small number of skeletons with signs of cancer," Michaela Binder, a PhD student in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, said in a press statement. "Insights gained from archaeological human remains like these can really help us to understand the evolution and history of modern diseases."
"Our analysis showed that the shape of the small lesions on the bones can only have been caused by a soft tissue cancer even though the exact origin is impossible to determine through the bones alone," she added.
An analysis on the skeleton was conducted using radiography and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which resulted in clear imaging of the lesions on the bones. It showed cancer metastases on the collar bones, shoulder blades, upper arms, vertebrae, ribs, pelvis and thigh bones. Researchers were not able to determine the exact cause of the cancer but speculate that environmental carcinogens such as smoke from wood fires may have played a role.
Infectious diseases such as schistosomiasis, caused by parasites may have also caused the cancer as inhabitants of Egypt and Nubia were plagued by such diseases since at least 1500BC.
"Through taking an evolutionary approach to cancer, information from ancient human remains may prove a vital element in finding ways to address one of the world's major health problems," Binder said.
Researchers are hopeful that the discovery will help explore underlying causes of cancer in ancient populations and provide insights into the evolution of cancer in the past.
Though human fossils have been discovered in the past providing evidence of cancer in ancient times, they have always been small pieces of the human body like a rib or a skull. This is the first time that researchers have discovered the complete skeleton of a human with cancer.
The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust and the Institute of Bioarchaeology Amara West Field School, with the permission of the National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums in Sudan. The study was published online in the academic journal PLOS ONE.
