Whenever we hear the word cancer, we think of chemotherapy, radiation, and hair loss. There is more to cancer such as gene mutation and hereditary cancer.
Cancer has been witnessed among relatives, which builds the belief that cancer is hereditary. Although one can easily inherit cancer not all cancer cases are hereditary.
Cancer can also occur due to environmental and behavioral changes. For instance, smoking might lead to throat cancer whereas exposure to ultraviolet sun rays leads to skin cancer.
Therefore, cancer occurs when cells grow abnormally in an organ or tissue.
Cancer has over 100 different variants, which begin in different types of cells in the blood and on the skin.
Where did cancer originate from?
Egypt recorded the first cancer case in Edwin Smith Papyrus around 3000 BC. Bone cancer known as osteosarcoma was the first type of cancer discovered among Egyptian mummies and fossils.
The cancer tumor was removed through the process of cauterization, which incorporates the use of a fire drill.
The Greek Physician Hippocrates went ahead and identified different types of cancer, which appear like a solid malignant tumor. Hippocrates referred to the tumor as carcinomas since the veins stretched to all sides like a crab.
Latin Physician Celsus translated carcinomas, which is a Latin name for a crab to the word cancer. Apart from surgically removing the cancerous tumor, ancient physicians changed the patient’s diet and laxatives.
What is the history of cancer development?
According to Hippocrates’ humoral theory, cancer was caused by an imbalance of the four body fluids(4 senses of humor); black bile, blood, yellow bile, and phlegm. The imbalance of the body fluids together with excess production of black bile in any body part caused cancer.
Physicians Stahl and Hoffman replaced Hippocrates’ humoral theory by stating that cancer emerges from the degeneration and acidity of the lymph (lymph theory).
John Hunter agreed with the lymph theory by stating that tumors develop from lymph released from the blood.
But Johannes Muller discovered that cancer emerged from budding blastemal in cells between normal tissues and not lymph.
Karl Thiersch noted that cancer metastasizes by spreading malignant cells.
Therefore in the late 1960s, the America Cancer Society developed screening tools to promote testing. Besides, in 1976, the America Cancer Society introduced breast cancer screening equipment.
How do cancer cells multiply?
Theodor Boveri, a German zoologist distinguished the growth of cancer cells after discovering how to generate copies of centrosomes in 1902. According to Theodor, chromosomes were diverse and resulted in transmitting dissimilar inheritance factors.
Chromosomal mutation generates cells with unrestricted growth that passes on to descendants. Thus, individual with cancer is likely to transmit the -cancer cells to their descendants.
American Cancer Society claims that between 5%-10% of cancer cases are inherited due to gene mutation.
Why is cancer more prevalent in developed than developing countries?
Cancer is more common in developed counties due to lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol intake. Developed countries also have high cases of cancer since they have a developed healthcare system with adequate screening tools.
Australia has the highest case with 452.4 cases per 1000 people whereas Niger has the lost number of cases at 40.4 per 100,000 people. Cancer screening tools tend to be expensive, hence developing countries are unable to screen most of their patient leading to undiagnosed death. Despite its many years of existence, cancer is still prevalent across the globe.
