DNA and X-ray tests of two bodies dated back to the year 834 have revealed the first case of cancer in the history of Norway, researchers say.
University of Oslo Anatomy Professor Per Holck said tests of the two female bodies found buried in the Oseberg, a Viking ship found in Norway in the early 1900s, showed one of the women had cancerous tumors in her bones, Aftenposten reported Saturday.
"We see here the first known case of cancer in this country," Holck said.
Holck said the cancer could have been breast or uterine cancer and appeared to have spread to the point where the woman had little chance to live.
"Even today she would have had little chance of recovery," he said.
The tests on the bodies also indicated the women were likely stronger than modern women and that both lived hard lives.
Aftenposten said the tests' results also offered contradictory evidence to a previous claim that one of the women was likely the paternal grandmother of Norway's first king, Harald Harfagre.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Related stories:
Postmenopausal women taking anastrozole as a chemopreventive treatment do not have impaired cognitive performance
New results of a sub-study carried out as part of a worldwide breast cancer prevention study (IBIS-II) show that after two years of taking the aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole, postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer do not have impaired cognitive performance.
Study: New way to spot breast cancer shows promise
(AP) -- A radioactive tracer that "lights up" cancer hiding inside dense breasts showed promise in its first big test against mammograms, revealing more tumors and giving fewer false alarms, doctors reported Wednesday. The experimental method - molecular breast imaging, or MBI - would not replace mammograms for women at average risk of the disease.
Link between nationality and cervical cancer
Gynaecological screening tests for cervical cancer have been available to all women in Sweden for almost four decades. Despite this, many immigrant women have a higher risk of developing the disease than Swedish-born women, according to a new study from the medical university Karolinska Institutet.
Olympic Games: Have we reached a plateau in terms of speed?
The world-record pace for the marathon continues to improve for both men and women. For men, the record pace for the marathon is now about as fast as the record pace for the 10,000-meter run just after World War II. Today, champion athletes are running more than four times farther at speeds of well under five minutes per mile.
Hip Bone Density Helps Predict Breast Cancer Risk
Measuring a woman’s bone mineral density can provide additional information that may help more accurately determine a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the September 1, 2008 issue of
Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study’s results suggest that incorporating bone mineral density tests with current risk assessments might significantly improve physicians’ ability to predict breast cancer risk in older, postmenopausal women.
Tobacco industry manipulated cigarette menthol content to recruit new smokers among young people
Menthol cigarette brands have been rising in popularity with adolescents, and the highest use has been among younger, newer smokers. Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) explored tobacco industry manipulation of menthol levels in specific brands and found a deliberate strategy to recruit and addict young smokers by adjusting menthol to create a milder experience for the first time smoker. Menthol masks the harshness and irritation of cigarettes, allowing delivery of an effective dose of nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes. These milder products were then marketed to the youngest potential consumers.
Obese women in Canada are less likely to be screened for cervical cancer
Research in the United States has shown that obese people are less likely than their normal-weight peers to undergo screening for breast, colon and cervical cancer. Raj Padwal, Rebecca Mitchell and Scott Klarenbach, from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, have undertaken a study to see if this trend is also true in Canada.
Get a Little Sun This Summer – It Could Help Save Your Life
As summer comes and people across America get ready to start slathering on the sunscreen, a note of caution is in order – a little sunshine is good for you.