Children Impacted by Parent's Cancer Month – January 2025

History of Children Impacted by Parent's Cancer Month

The history of cancer dates back several millennia. Cancer occurs when cells in a certain area of the body start multiplying uncontrollably. One of the earliest pieces of evidence of cancer was found in the fossilized bone tumors discovered in Ancient Egyptian mummies, with corresponding recorded writings dating back to 3000 B.C. The word ‘cancer’ was introduced by Greek physician Hippocrates. He also used the terms like, ‘carcinos’ and ‘carcinomas’ to refer to ulcer-forming and non-ulcer-forming tumors. The Roman physician, Celsius, later coined the word ‘cancer,’ which was derived from these terms. The word ‘cancer’ is a Latin word for crab.

By the turn of the 15th century, scientists had developed a deeper understanding of the human body and various diseases. During the 18th century, John Hunter, a Scottish surgeon who is also known as the ‘father of scientific surgery,’ suggested that surgery could cure certain cancers. The invention of anesthesia triggered the practice of regular surgery to remove cancers that were still limited and had not spread to other parts in the body. During the 19th century, a German physician, Rudolf Virchow, did significant work in the field of cellular pathology. His studies helped to understand cancer even better. He also developed the study of tissues extracted during surgery, which enabled pathologists to ascertain whether the cancer was entirely removed from the body.

Modern developments in the medical sciences, including the invention of the X-ray machine in 1896, have made several significant cancer treatments possible. Chemotherapy was based on the discovery that nitrogen mustard could work against many types of cancer.