AN ANCIENT Egyptian mummy that was uncovered in the 19th century may have also had cancer, researchers claim.
Researchers believe they have found evidence of a sizable tumor behind a female Egyptian mummy’s left eye socket.
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After performing X-rays and CT scans as part of a study, researchers found deformities in the skull which strongly suggest a tumor.
Specifically, the radiological examination showed obstruction of the craniofacial bones “corresponding with similar to observed as activity of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).”
Researchers noted that this type of cancer is “vastly more common” in parts of East Asia and Africa than anywhere else.
However, more tests are required to confirm whether the tumor was cancerous or not.
“The mummy of The Mysterious Lady presents fragments of potentially cancerous soft tissues in the area where the bone also is bearing marks of potential cancer,” researchers said.
“Sampling them, along with mummified internal organs, and subjecting to histopathological, genetic and molecular tests, will enable the chance to answer many questions about this disease,” they added.
If the tumor was indeed cancerous, the woman may have developed it via genetics or viral and dietary factors, scientists said.
“The research of the Mysterious Lady, who unlike present population was not exposed to cigarette smoke, neither strong alcohol (ancient Egyptians knew only beer and wine), can provide a new insight on cancer factors,” the researchers wrote.
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“Nevertheless, as in the case of suspected cancer in a living patient, here too, we would like to perform histopathological examinations to confirm the disease and take a closer look at cancer at the cellular level and at a genetic stage,” they added.
These new findings could help scientists learn more about cancer and its role in ancient civilizations.
Who was this woman?
The mummy was discovered at the beginning of the 19th century in Thebes and donated to the University of Warsaw in Poland in 1826.
What’s more, the Egyptian woman was believed to be carrying a child when she died.
This made her the first-ever known case of a pregnant mummy, per The Independent.
A team of Polish researchers estimated that the woman had died around the 28th week of pregnancy, according to a 2021 paper, per Live Science.
