Earliest hominin cancer: 1.7-million-year- old osteosarcoma from Swartkrans Cave, South Africa

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dc.citation.doi10.17159/sajs.2016/20150471en_ZA
dc.citation.epage5en_ZA
dc.citation.issue7/8en_ZA
dc.citation.spage1en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorOdes, E.J.
dc.contributor.authorRandolph-Quinney, P.S.
dc.contributor.authorSteyn, M.
dc.contributor.authorThockmorton, Z.
dc.contributor.authorSmilg, J.S.
dc.contributor.authorZipfel, B.
dc.contributor.authorAugustine, T.N.
dc.contributor.authorde Beer, F.
dc.contributor.authorHoffman, J.W.
dc.contributor.authorFranklin, R.D.
dc.contributor.authorBerger, L.R.
dc.date.accessioned2017-02-09T14:12:51Z
dc.date.available2017-02-09T14:12:51Z
dc.date.issued2016-07
dc.description.abstractThe reported incidence of neoplasia in the extinct human lineage is rare, with only a few confirmed cases of Middle or Later Pleistocene dates reported. It has generally been assumed that premodern incidence of neoplastic disease of any kind is rare and limited to benign conditions, but new fossil evidence suggests otherwise. We here present the earliest identifiable case of malignant neoplastic disease from an early human ancestor dated to 1.8–1.6 million years old. The diagnosis has been made possible only by advances in 3D imaging methods as diagnostic aids. We present a case report based on re-analysis of a hominin metatarsal specimen (SK 7923) from the cave site of Swartkrans in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. The expression of malignant osteosarcoma in the Swartkrans specimen indicates that whilst the upsurge in malignancy incidence is correlated with modern lifestyles, there is no reason to suspect that primary bone tumours would have been any less frequent in ancient specimens. Such tumours are not related to lifestyle and often occur in younger individuals. As such, malignancy has a considerable antiquity in the fossil record, as evidenced by this specimen.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianNCS2016en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationOdes, E.J. et al. 2016. Earliest hominin cancer: 1.7-million-year- old osteosarcoma from Swartkrans Cave, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 112 (7/8): Article number 2015-0471en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0038-2353 (Print)
dc.identifier.issn1996-7489 (Online)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/21991
dc.journal.titleSouth African Journal of Scienceen_ZA
dc.journal.volume112en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAcademy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)en_ZA
dc.rights© 2016. The Author(s). Published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.en_ZA
dc.subjectpalaeopathologyen_ZA
dc.subjectoncologyen_ZA
dc.subjectmetatarsalen_ZA
dc.subjectmalignant neoplasiaen_ZA
dc.subjectmicro-computed tomographyen_ZA
dc.subjectOSTEOBLASTOMAen_ZA
dc.subjectTUMORSen_ZA
dc.subjectSTATISTICSen_ZA
dc.subjectANTIQUITYen_ZA
dc.subjectSARCOMAen_ZA
dc.subjectBONEen_ZA
dc.subjectSITEen_ZA
dc.titleEarliest hominin cancer: 1.7-million-year- old osteosarcoma from Swartkrans Cave, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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