The root of the word ‘cancer' stretches back over two millennia
Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases known to humanity. But where does its name come from? To find the answer, we need to travel back in time to ancient Greece and Rome.
Some of the earliest documented cases of cancer date back to the 4th century BC in Greece. Physicians at the time were already quite familiar with the disease and referred to malignant tumors using the Greek word “karkinos” which means crab. When Latin physicians later described similar illnesses, they adopted the Latin word for crab – “cancer”. And that is how the term we use today became associated with this family of diseases.
Ancient Greeks and Romans recognized cancer as a serious condition that was difficult to treat. One explanation for why they likened tumors to crabs was the invasion and spread resembled a crab encroaching on the body. The prominent physician Galen further noted some breast cancers resembled the legs of a crab radiating from a central point.
In those eras, cancer was viewed as an incurable disease provoking much fear. Surgery was a last resort due to risk of blood loss. Medications made from plants, metals and animals were commonly tried first to purge tumors. While some therapies saw success in early-stage cancers, advanced cases usually proved fatal for patients who sometimes turned to suicide to end their suffering.
Over two millennia later, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. But through continued study of its history and origins, we gain deeper insights that shape new innovations against this complex class of diseases. The word's roots in ancient Greece and Rome stand as an early witness to humanity's long struggle with cancer and determination to understand its nature.
