Cancer is often thought of as a modern disease. Increased numbers of cases has been linked to exposure to chemicals, pollution and the rise in the use of tobacco products. A study from Britain shows that cancer likely affected many more people than previously thought.
The researchers examined the external and internal structure of bones from 143 people buried in medieval-era cemeteries. The examinations showed that between 9% and 14% of the people living at that time were likely to have cancer. The results are higher than previous work, that had only looked on the outside of the bones. It is thought that about 40% to 50% of modern people develop cancer during their lifetime.
It looks like cancer has been part of the human existence for a long, long time!
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