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100
1600 BC Egyptian mummies cell
Egyptian papyruses describe treatments for cancer including cutting out with a knife or burning with red-hot irons. Stomach cancer was treated with boiled barley mixed with dates, cancer of the uterus by a concoction of fresh dates mixed with pig's brain introduced into the vagina. -
100
400 BC cancer in Peru
Evidence of cancer found in mummies of pre-Columbian Incas of Peru. -
100
50 AD Roman Empire
Like the Greeks, the Romans found that some tumours could be removed by surgery and cauterised (burnt), but no medicine seemed to work. They found that surgery sometimes increased the spread of the cancer, or that tumours sometimes grew again. -
100
300 BC Father of Medicine
Greece:Hippocrates, the Greek 'Father of Medicine', named a range of tumours, lumps and bumps as carcinos and carcinoma. It was thought cancerous tumours had roots spreading out like the legs of a crab. Cancer was thought to be caused by too much black bile in the body. -
500
500-1500 AD Progress
Little progress was made in understanding cancer. It was still believed to be caused by too much black bile. Surgery and cautery were used on smaller tumours. Caustic (burning) pastes, usually containing arsenic, were used for control of more extensive cancer. Phlebotomy (blood-letting), diet, herbal medicines, powder of crab and other symbolic charms were used. -
Jan 1, 1500
1500 AD Doctor Examine
Autopsies (examining bodies to find out the cause of death) were conducted more often and understanding of internal cancers began to improve. -
1650 AD Mircoscpe
The development of microscopes, and better understanding of cells and the blood and lymphatic systems were major steps in improving understanding of cancer -
1750 AD Casue of Cancer
Causes for some cancers suggested. For example, snuff was linked to cancer in the nose and soot to scrotal cancer in chimney sweeps. -
1840-1900 AD Surergy
Important discoveries in anaesthetics and control of infection improved surgical methods -
1895 AD X-Ray
X-rays discovered. -
1898 AD Radiation
The radioactive substance, radium was discovered. It is now used to treat some types of cancer -
1900 AD improvment
Hundreds of materials, both man-made and natural, were recognised as causes of cancer (carcinogens). Improvements made in diagnosing (identifying) diseases and the changes those diseases bring about in the body, due to advances in areas of science such as physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology -
1900-1950 Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy—use of radiation to kill cancer cells or stop them dividing—was developed as a treatment -
1945 AD Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy—use of drugs to treat cancer—was tested
