How is cancer named




















List of Partners vendors. Have you ever wondered when cancer was first discovered? When we hear about some of the causes of cancer, it may seem as if cancer is a recent ailment. Yet we've been learning that cancer has afflicted people for centuries, and as far back as the written word. Let's take a look at some of what we know about the history of cancer, and how both the ideas of causation and treatments have changed over time.

The word "cancer" came from the father of medicine: Hippocrates, a Greek physician. Hippocrates used the Greek words carcinos and carcinoma to describe tumors, thus calling cancer "karkinos. Although Hippocrates may have named the disease "cancer," he was certainly not the first to discover the disease. The history of cancer actually begins much earlier.

The world's oldest documented case of cancer hails from ancient Egypt in BC. It was treated by cauterization, which destroyed tissue with a hot instrument called "the fire drill. There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians were able to tell the difference between malignant and benign tumors.

In Ancient Greece, much less was known about the human body than what is known today, of course. For example, Hippocrates believed that the body was composed of four fluids: blood, phlegm , yellow bile , and black bile.

He believed that an excess of black bile in any given site in the body caused cancer. This was the general thought of the cause of cancer for the next 1, years. Autopsies done by William Harvey in paved the way to learning more about human anatomy and physiology. Blood circulation was discovered, opening the doors for more research on diseases. It wasn't until that autopsies were performed to research the cause of death in ill patients. Giovanni Morgagni of Padua was the first to do such autopsies.

The lymph theory developed in the 17th century, replacing Hippocrates' black bile theory on the cause of cancer. The discovery of the lymphatic system gave new insight into what may cause cancer.

It was believed that abnormalities in the lymphatic system were the cause. It wasn't until the late 19th century that Rudolf Virchow recognized that cells, even cancerous cells, derived from other cells. In , a Nobel Prize was wrongfully awarded for the discovery of the cause of stomach cancer, a worm.

The 20th century saw the greatest progression in cancer research. Research identifying carcinogens, chemotherapy , radiation therapy, and better means of diagnosis was discovered. Today, we are able to cure some types of cancer, and research is ongoing. Cells grow and divide to make new cells as the body needs them. Usually, cells die when they get too old or damaged. Then, new cells take their place. Cancer begins when genetic changes interfere with this orderly process.

Cells start to grow uncontrollably. These cells may form a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be cancerous or benign. A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body.

A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread. Some types of cancer do not form a tumor. These include leukemias, most types of lymphoma, and myeloma. A carcinoma begins in the skin or the tissue that covers the surface of internal organs and glands. Carcinomas usually form solid tumors.

They are the most common type of cancer. Examples of carcinomas include prostate cancer , breast cancer , lung cancer , and colorectal cancer. A sarcoma begins in the tissues that support and connect the body. A sarcoma can develop in fat, muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, blood vessels, lymph vessels, cartilage, or bone.

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. Leukemia begins when healthy blood cells change and grow uncontrollably. The 4 main types of leukemia are acute lymphocytic leukemia , chronic lymphocytic leukemia , acute myeloid leukemia , and chronic myeloid leukemia. Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphatic system. In Greek, these words refer to a crab, most likely applied to the disease because the finger-like spreading projections from a cancer called to mind the shape of a crab.

Galen AD , another Greek physician, used the word oncos Greek for swelling to describe tumors. During the Renaissance, beginning in the 15th century, scientists developed greater understanding of the human body.

Scientists like Galileo and Newton began to use the scientific method, which later was used to study disease. Autopsies, done by Harvey , led to an understanding of the circulation of blood through the heart and body that had until then been a mystery. This laid the foundation for scientific oncology, the study of cancer.



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