Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Marika on 22/06/2018 14:14:45

Title: When was the first case of cancer?
Post by: Marika on 22/06/2018 14:14:45

Alan asks:

When was cancer first recognised as a cause of death?  I presume it's not because people are living long enough for cancers to proliferate/ metastesize because one would imagine childhood cancers would always have existed.

What do you think?

Title: Re: When was the first case of cancer?
Post by: RD on 22/06/2018 14:19:19

Does dinosaur cancer count ? ... https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/11/1124_031124_dinocancer.html

Title: Re: When was the first case of cancer?
Post by: alancalverd on 22/06/2018 19:24:37

Uncontrolled cell multiplication seems to happen to any and all species, though sick sharks are very rare.So we can presume that DNA has gone rogue from time to time since it first appeared.

Title: Re: When was the first case of cancer?
Post by: RD on 22/06/2018 20:20:23

Quote from: alancalverd on 22/06/2018 19:24:37

... though sick sharks are very rare ...

Despite the book (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharks_Don%27t_Get_Cancer), they do get cancer, and eating them does not cure cancer ...
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/individual-therapies/shark-cartilage