What is the history behind breast cancer?

What is the history behind breast cancer?

Humans have known about breast cancer for a long time. For example, the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus describes cases of breast cancer . This medical text dates back to 3,000-2,500 B.C.E. In ancient Greece, people made votive offerings in the shape of a breast to the god of medicine.

When did breast cancer first appear?

The first mention of cancer of any kind was a case of breast cancer documented in Egypt around 1600 BC. The Edwin Smith Papyrus, an ancient text found in 1860 in an Egyptian tomb, described eight cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast.

Where did cancer originally come from?

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.”1 The Greek terms actually were words that were used to describe a crab, which Hippocrates thought a tumor resembled.

Who first diagnosed breast cancer?

Ancient Greece and Egypt. Ancient Egyptians were the first to note the disease more than 3,500 years ago. The condition was described fairly accurately in both Edwin Smith and George Ebers papyri. One of the descriptions refers to bulging tumors of the breast that has no cure.

Who was the first person to get cancer?

The first cause of cancer was identified by British surgeon Percivall Pott, who discovered in 1775 that cancer of the scrotum was a common disease among chimney sweeps. The work of other individual physicians led to various insights, but when physicians started working together they could draw firmer conclusions.

Where is most breast cancer located?

Several studies have found that the upper outer quadrant of the breast is the most frequent site for breast cancer occurrence.

Can teens have breast cancer?

If you feel a lump in your breast, don’t panic — breast cancer is extremely rare in teens. For teen girls, the most common type of breast lump is usually just part of normal breast growth. Lots of girls and women have something called fibrocystic breast changes.

Who created cancer?

The origin of the word cancer is credited to the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who is considered the “Father of Medicine.” Hippocrates used the terms carcinos and carcinoma to describe non-ulcer forming and ulcer-forming tumors.

What is the most common type of breast cancer?

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), sometimes called infiltrating ductal carcinoma, is the most common type of breast cancer. About 80% of all breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinomas. Invasive means that the cancer has “invaded” or spread to the surrounding breast tissues.

Can breast cancer spread quickly?

The cancer may grow and invade tissue around the breast, such as the skin or chest wall. Different types of breast cancer grow and spread at different rates — some take years to spread beyond the breast, while others grow and spread quickly.

Where does breast cancer spread to?

Breast cancer may spread to nearly any region of the body but is more likely to spread to some regions than others. Cancers can spread through the bloodstream or through the lymphatic system, and therefore commonly spread to regions which have significant blood or lymphatic flow.

Where in the breast does cancer occur?

Breast cancer can occur anywhere in the breast, but the most common location is the upper, outer section of the breast. It can be located near the surface or deeper inside the breast, close to the chest wall. It can also occur in the armpit area, where there is more breast tissue (a.k.a. the “tail” of the breast).