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Discovery of 3,200-year-old skeleton could show how cancer has evolved


British archeologists have discovered a 3,200-year-old skeleton with cancer, raising hopes that we will learn how the deadly disease has evolved over millennia, a British media outlet said.

The remains, of a man aged between 25 and 35, show evidence of metastatic carcinoma, a type of cancer that begins in one spot and spreads to other parts of the body, Durham University researchers said.

The remains were found in a tomb in the vicinity of the River Nile in Southern Sudan last year by Michaela Binder, a student in the university’s archaeology department, the Express reported.

Binder, the lead author, reportedly said: “This may help us to understand the almost unknown history of the disease … We have very few examples pre the first millennium A.D.”

She was also quoted as saying, “We need to understand the history of the disease to better understand how it evolved and for that it is important to find more examples.”

The university researchers and the British Museum said the find will help scientists explore the causes of cancer and how the disease has evolved.

The discovery of cancer in archaeological finds is extremely rare compared to other detectable kills, according to the study, published today in the academic journal PLOS One.

From news reports (khnews@heraldcorp.com)