title: Surgical treatment of head and neck cancers in the ancient world.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper attempts to chart the history of head and neck cancers and their surgical treatment, starting from ancient Egypt and concluding with Galen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ancient Egyptians appear to have treated head and neck cancers with local applications. The ancient Greek corpus contains a reference to treating pharyngeal carcinoma with cautery, but the description is too vague to establish the diagnosis conclusively. The ancient Romans moved away from surgical treatments, with Galen establishing a prejudice against surgery that would last through the Middle Ages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery,Princess Royal Hospital,Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust,UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology,East Surrey Hospital,Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust,UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahalingam
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery; D000076144:Egypt, Ancient; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000266:history*; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000266:history*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
keywords: Ancient; Head And Neck Neoplasms; History