Cancer Biology

History of cancer
 History of Cancer
•400 BC - Hippocrates: "The Father of Modern Medicine“
Known today as the father of medicine, proposed the Humoral
Theory of Medicine, which states that the body is composed of
four fluids, or humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

•Hippocrates was the first to use the words "carcinos" and

"carcinoma" to describe tumors, and hence the term "cancer" was
coined. "Cancer" is derived from the Greek word "karkinos," or
crab
1775 - Environmental Factors and Cancer Percival Pott showed that chimney sweeps had
an occupation-related cancer risk. A black powdery substance that collected under their
scrotum was associated with scrotal cancer.
1889 - Seed and Soil Theory Stephen Paget proposed his "seed and soil" theory of
cancer. He analyzed over 1000 autopsy records of women who had breast cancer and
found that the patterns of metastasis were not random. 
1910 - Viral Theory of Cancer Francis Peyton Rous provides scientific backing to the
Viral Theory of Cancer by injecting chickens with cell free liquids obtained from chicken
sarcomas and observing the formation of sarcomas in the injected hens.
Weinberg RA. The Biology of Cancer, 2nd Edition Garland Science: May
18, 2013.
•This book provides an in-depth description of all of the topics touched on in this
course. It requires a basic knowledge of biology.
•http://www.amazon.com/The-Biology-Cancer-2nd-Edition/dp/0815342209

Mukherjee S. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of

Cancer Scribner: Aug 9, 2011)
•This book provides a history of cancer and how it affects us. It does not require any
prior knowledge of biology.
•http://www.amazon.com/The-Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography/dp/1439170916

Hanahan D, Weinberg RA. Hallmarks of cancer: the next

generation. Cell 2011 Mar 4;144(5):646-74. PMID: 21376230.
•This article is available free to the public and describes the hallmarks of cancer.
•http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2011.02.013
1914 - Mutation Theory of Cancer Theodor Boveri proposes the Somatic
Mutation Theory of Cancer. He believed that cancer was caused by abnormal
chromosomes.

1946 - Discovery of Chemotherapy Louis Goodman discovers nitrogen mustards can be

used in the treatment of cancer. Goodman studied chemical warfare agents during WWII
and published a paper reporting the use of nitrogen mustards as the first
chemotherapeutic agents against Hodgkin's Disease, lymphosarcoma, and leukemias
2003 - The Human Genome Project The Human Genome Project is completed. The
project, started in 1990, identified all the 20,000 - 25,000 genes in human DNA and
determined the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human
DNA

2006 - First Cancer Vaccine The FDA approves Gardasil, a vaccine that protects
against human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is known to be the major cause of cervical
cancer.

https://www.cancerquest.org/cancer-biology/historical-cancer-hi
ghlights