title: The first cases of cancer in antiquity.
abstract: In this manuscript the existence of cancer-resembling lesions of benign tumors perceived as malignant lesions, and of cancer itself is not simply approached and analyzed as an individual problem of the affected person or animal, but as a general, not very well understood, medical problem. The aim of this essay is to evaluate the existence, the estimated prevalence and the perception of cancer in ancient times, starting from the prehistoric times and stretching out up to ancient times. The main goal of this article is to remind us all that cancer, a disease very often considered as being an "epidemic" disease of modern times, actually affected human kind almost since its origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karamanou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diamadis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Androutsos
mesh_terms: D000076144:Egypt, Ancient; D005202:Asia, Eastern; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000266:history*; D013020:South America