Panzer Stephanie, Wörtler Klaus, Paladin Alice, Zesch Stephanie, Rosendahl Wilfried, van Schaik Katherine D, Sutherland M Linda, Sutherland James D, Hergan Klaus, Thompson Randall C, Zink Albert R
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
Institute of Biomechanics, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Strubergasse 21, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):21482. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-07029-y.
There is a growing interest in the antiquity of cancer and ongoing discussion of the apparent scarcity of malignant tumors in ancient human remains, especially those of soft tissues. We systematically assessed bone and soft tissue tumors on 45 whole-body computed tomography (CT) scans of ancient Egyptian mummies. In one of 45 cases (2%), malignant skeletal disease (probably skeletal metastases) was detected. In five of 45 cases (11%), probably malignant soft tissue masses were identified. The soft tissue masses showed distinct margins, various internal structures, and higher densities compared to preserved adjacent soft tissues. In the two cases with intra-abdominal soft tissue masses, no preserved original organs were detectable. In conclusion, malignant tumors, even those of soft tissues are detectable on CT images of ancient Egyptian mummies. The recognizability, CT characteristics, and frequency of soft tissue tumors represent new knowledge and offer a novel approach for the field of paleo-oncology.
人们对癌症的古老性兴趣日增，且一直在讨论古代人类遗骸中，尤其是软组织遗骸中恶性肿瘤明显稀少的问题。我们对45具古埃及木乃伊的全身计算机断层扫描（CT）进行了系统评估，以检测骨骼和软组织肿瘤。在45例中有1例（2%）检测到恶性骨骼疾病（可能是骨转移）。在45例中有5例（11%）发现了可能为恶性的软组织肿块。这些软组织肿块边缘清晰，内部结构各异，与相邻保存下来的软组织相比密度更高。在两例腹部软组织肿块的病例中，未检测到保存下来的原始器官。总之，在古埃及木乃伊的CT图像上可以检测到恶性肿瘤，甚至是软组织肿瘤。软组织肿瘤的可识别性、CT特征和发生率代表了新知识，并为古肿瘤学领域提供了一种新方法。
