Ancient Egyptian doctors had the skills to treat oncology (5 photos)
An international team of scientists has found evidence that the Egyptians were conducting experimental cancer treatments as early as 4,000 years ago. 
"This is a completely new perspective in our understanding of the history of medicine," said Edgard Camaros, a paleopathologist at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain and lead author of the study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.
Camaros' team examined two human skulls from the University of Cambridge collection. The first belonged to a man 30-35 years old, it dates back to 2687 - 2345. BC e., the second - for a woman over 50 years old, 663-343. BC e. 
The researchers noted that the man had a tumor. About 30 small injuries were found on his skull.
“When we saw the cuts under the microscope, we couldn’t believe our eyes,” said Tatiana Tondini, a researcher at the University of Tübingen in Germany.
The first description of cancer in humans dates back to Egypt around 3000 BC. The authorship of the term "cancer" is attributed to the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC). 
The woman's skull was found to have extensive bone destruction from the tumor and traces of healed cuts.
Scientists have suggested that in both cases the injuries were caused by a sharp object at close range, probably by a surgeon.
“Did this woman participate in warfare?” Tondini says. “If so, then we need to rethink the role of women in the past and how they took an active part in conflicts in ancient times.” 
Experts are in no hurry to make loud statements, since the medical histories of these people are unknown. However, this discovery may mean that ancient Egyptian doctors had the skills to treat cancer.
"Our study changes the way we look at the past and provides a promising foundation for future research in paleoncology, but more analysis will be needed to figure out how ancient societies dealt with cancer," Camaros concluded. 
