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Cancer, often viewed as a modern disease, was recognized by ancient Egyptian healers, as evidenced by ancient medical texts. Recent analysis of a 4,000-year-old skull even suggests ancient Egyptian physicians even attempted brain tumor surgery to deal with the condition.

The skull, housed within the Duckworth Laboratory collection at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, belonged to a man aged approximately 30 to 35 years old at the time of his death. Scholars have examined the skull's scarred surface since the mid-19th century, noting multiple lesions believed to signify bone damage caused by malignant tumors. Identified as specimen 236 in the collection, archaeologists consider it among the earliest instances of malignancy in antiquity, dating back to a period between 2686 BC and 2345 BC.

Upon closer examination of the tumor scars using digital microscopy and micro-computed tomography (CT) scans, researchers discerned indications of cut marks encircling the tumors, hinting at the utilization of sharp metal instruments for excising the growths. These findings were disclosed in the journal Frontiers in Medicine on Wednesday.

Dr. Edgard Camarós, senior author of the study, says the incisions could have been made either during the patient's life as treatment or posthumously for examination. Despite uncertainties, the findings shed light on the ancient Egyptians' sophisticated medical knowledge and surgical skills.

"It was the very first time that humanity was dealing surgically with what we nowadays call cancer," Camarós, a professor in the department of history at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Coruña, Spain, noted according to CNN.

"If those cut marks were done with that person alive, we're talking about some kind of treatment directly related to the cancer," he explained, adding that if the cut marks were made posthumously, "it means that this is a medical autopsy exploration in relation to that cancer."

Either way, "it's amazing to think that they performed a surgical intervention," Camarós said. "But we cannot actually distinguish between a treatment and an autopsy."

While ancient Egyptian medicine is well-documented, modern technologies are unveiling new insights. Dr. Ibrahem Badr notes that 21st-century methods enhance understanding of ancient medical practices and pathology.

"We can see that ancient Egyptian medicine was not solely based on herbal remedies like medicine in other ancient civilizations," Badr, who was not involved in the new research, said. "It directly relied on surgical practices."

"The research provides a new and solid direction for reevaluating the history of medicine and pathology among ancient Egyptians," he added. The research authors' methods "transition their results from the realm of uncertainty and archaeological possibilities to the realm of scientific and medical certainty."

The study also examined a second skull, dating from 664 BC to 343 BC, revealing similar lesions but no signs of surgery. This evidence contributes to the understanding of cancer's early history, emphasizing the ancient Egyptians' attempts to address the disease.

While ancient texts acknowledged cancer, treatment methods were limited. The discovery of surgical attempts marks a significant milestone in medical history, highlighting ancient Egyptians' pioneering efforts to confront complex diseases like cancer.

"There is an urgent need to reevaluate the history of Egyptian medicine using these scientific methodologies," Badr stated. "By utilizing these modern techniques, we will be able to study and gain a more comprehensive and precise understanding of medicine in ancient Egypt."

"The more we look into our past, the more we know that cancer was much more prevalent, much more present than we thought."