Mitchell Piers D, Dittmar Jenna M, Mulder Bram, Inskip Sarah, Littlewood Alastair, Cessford Craig, Robb John E
Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK.
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3ER, UK.
Int J Paleopathol. 2022 Mar;36:24-29. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.12.001. Epub 2021 Dec 16.
To determine the degree to which plain radiographs (x-rays) and microCT scans can improve accuracy in the diagnosis of cancer in human remains from past populations.
The skeletal remains of 143 individuals from medieval Cambridgeshire, dating from 6th-16th century CE.
Visual inspection of the skeletons for lesions compatible with malignancy, coupled with plain radiographs and microCT scans of the pelvis, femora and vertebra.
Three individuals had visually apparent metastases on their skeletons. Plain radiographs did not identify further individuals with cancer, but did show further lesions in bones with normal external appearance. MicroCT scans identified cancer in two further individuals with normal visual appearance and normal plain radiographs.
Imaging human skeletal remains increases the detection rate of cancer in human skeletal remains. We found microCT scanning to be a much more sensitive imaging modality than plain radiography. It improved our diagnostic accuracy and enabled us to more reliably distinguish between malignant lesions and taphonomic change.
Future studies investigating the prevalence and nature of malignancy in past populations would benefit from systematic microCT scanning of pelvis, femora and vertebrae of skeletons to optimise their diagnostic accuracy.
MicroCT scanning is more expensive than plain radiographs, and may not be easily accessible to biological anthropologists.
To apply this approach to skeletal series from different time periods and geographical regions, where the types of cancer existing in the local population may differ from those we studied in medieval Britain.
确定普通X光片和显微CT扫描在提高对过去人群遗骸中癌症诊断准确性方面的程度。
来自公元6至16世纪中世纪剑桥郡的143人的骨骼遗骸。
对骨骼进行目视检查，寻找与恶性肿瘤相符的病变，同时对骨盆、股骨和椎骨进行普通X光片和显微CT扫描。
三名个体的骨骼上有肉眼可见的转移瘤。普通X光片未发现更多患有癌症的个体，但在外观正常的骨骼中发现了更多病变。显微CT扫描在另外两名外观正常且普通X光片正常的个体中发现了癌症。
对人类骨骼遗骸进行成像可提高对人类骨骼遗骸中癌症的检测率。我们发现显微CT扫描是一种比普通X光摄影更敏感的成像方式。它提高了我们的诊断准确性，使我们能够更可靠地区分恶性病变和埋藏学变化。
未来研究过去人群中恶性肿瘤的患病率和性质的研究将受益于对骨骼的骨盆、股骨和椎骨进行系统的显微CT扫描，以优化诊断准确性。
显微CT扫描比普通X光片更昂贵，生物人类学家可能不易获得。
将这种方法应用于来自不同时间段和地理区域的骨骼系列，当地人群中存在的癌症类型可能与我们在中世纪英国研究过的不同。
