Presentation

Renaissance : "Plaster statue - Anatomical Ecorché" from the Museum of Medicine in Brussels) - study cast according to "L'écorché au bras levé" of J.A. Houdon (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale 1767)

History

The History of Cancer

(Some History : From 1300 to 1600 A.C.)

The Middle Ages

Surgeons helped very much to better understand cancer :

 

John of Arderne (1307-1390),

from England, was surgeon during the "Hundred's Year War". He described the symptoms of the rectum carcinoma including its hemorrhages and obstructions but he never managed to cure one of his patients with that disease.

Guy de Chauliac, from France (1300-1370),

followed his predecessors : when early lesions were detected, he carried out large excisions and treated more advanced lesions with ointments in a palliative way. He generally advised diet and purge to his patients.
He brought nothing new to the study of cancer but was an excellent surgeon.

The Renaissance - 16th century

Medicine also took part in the emergence of the new scientific spirit that was going through the world. Doctors were again interested in Hippocrates, Galien ... and all Greek and Latin texts, which were known until this period only through Arabic translations.

• There were more and more anatomical knowledge because autopsies were no more forbidden.

 

Fallopius (1523-1562),

a Vésale's pupil who became an anatomy professor. He described several types of cancers but he did not propose any new treatment : when early lesions were detected, he carried out excisions and cauterisations and treated advanced stage lesions with different ointments. One of his favourite ointments was arsenic-based (nowadays we know that arsenic is carcinogenic !)

 

Gaspard Aselli (1581-1625)

discovered the lymphatic system.
This discovery was really significant because the lymphatic system has a major role in the dissemination process (metastasis development) of many cancers.
- Jean Pecquet (1622-1674), who was born in Dieppe, discovered the thoracic duct , main collector of lymphatic vessels.

We took a long time to understand that the lymphatic system has a role in the evolution of cancer and that removing loco-regional lymph nodes in order to prevent the metastatic disease is a important part in the therapy of cancer.
However, the study of cancer does not evolve much because there is neither scientific rigor nor methodology yet in the experimental research of cancer and the lack of scientific means does not allow to progress fastly.

 

• Knowledge of cancer is based on the clinical observation of different types of cancer and cases record :

 

Fabricius Hildanus, from Germany, (1560-1634),

wrote books containing detailed descriptions of large operations of cancer.
He performed dissection of axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer.
The study of breast cancer was very fashionable during this period.

 

Marco Aurelio Severini (1580-1656)

described the different benign and malignant tumors of breast with the differential diagnosis . He was the first to illustrate his descriptions with drawings. He also made clear descriptions of fibro-adenoma and advised to remove benign tumors because there was a risk of degeneration.
In his work, which is titled "Synopseos Chirurgicae", any kind of growths are called "abscess".

 

Johann Schultes (1595-1645)

distinguished himself by his drawings of surgical operations and dissection instruments : he drew among others the different stages of a mastectomy in "Armamentarii Chirurgici"

The 17th century

During that period, according to some doctors such as Sennert (1572-1637), people believed that cancer was contagious : cancerous people were excluded from hospitals for fear of epidemic.
Faced with this situation, Jean Godinot (1661-1739) made one of the first hospitals dedicated to cancer patients built in Reims in 1740. The institute that was called " Hôpital St-Louis" was built outside the city and was intended only to people suffering from cancer until we admitted that cancer is not contagious.
In 1592, an institute for patients with tumors is said to have existed in Varsovia (Poland) : "Hôpital St Lazare". This was probably the first institute for cancer patients in Europe and maybe in the world.

To access previous parts of the text click on the links :
Introduction : click here
History : until 1200 AC : click here
History : from 1300 to 1600 AC : see text below
History : from 1700 to 1900 AC : click here
Conclusion : click here

Main sources of the text are :
- "The Theory and Practice of Oncology - Historical evolution and present principles" by Ronald W. Raven - Edition : The Parthenon Publishing Group - 1990 (Lancs - England / Park Ridge, New Jersey - USA)
- "Histoire du Cancer" (review "Histoire" n°74) by Marie-José Imbault-Huart