Cancer is usually considered a modern disease, associated with aging or environmental factors. However, scientific evidence reveals that its origin is much older. In 2020, researchers confirmed the first documented case of malignant cancer in a dinosaur: a Centrosaurus that lived about 76 million years ago and suffered from osteosarcoma in the femur, a disease that still affects humans today.
The discovery was possible thanks to advanced technologies such as computed tomography and histological analysis applied to a fossil discovered in Canada in 1989. Beyond the specific case, the discovery confirmed a key idea: cancer is not exclusive to humanity or the modern era, but rather an ancient biological condition.
In fact, there are even more remote records. A Jurassic dinosaur, Allosaurus, had a malignant tumor about 155 million years ago. Even earlier, a mammalian ancestor developed a benign tumor 255 million years ago. This evidence indicates that cancer has accompanied complex organisms since their origins.
An inherent flaw in life
Although cancer has been described in humans since ancient times, its fundamental cause is linked to cell biology. Every time a cell divides, there is the possibility of errors in the DNA. In complex organisms, where this process occurs millions of times, the risk of mutations increases.
Therefore, more than a “new” disease, cancer is a natural consequence of evolution. What has changed is the ability to detect and treat it. In recent decades, scientific advances have transformed the landscape.
Innovation in the fight against cancer
The United States leads the development of new technologies for treatment and prevention. Among them, immunotherapy stands out, which uses the immune system to attack tumors. Checkpoint inhibitors have proven especially effective, allowing defensive cells to recognize and destroy cancer.
Another key innovation is CAR-T therapy, which genetically modifies immune cells so that they identify specific tumor cells. This approach has achieved surprising results in some leukemia patients.
Added to this is genetic editing with CRISPR, which allows DNA to be intervened with great precision, opening the door to personalized treatments. In diagnosis, artificial intelligence is already used to analyze medical images and detect tumors with greater accuracy. Additionally, liquid biopsies (blood tests) capable of identifying tumor DNA promise to detect cancer before symptoms appear.
Who suffers more from cancer?
Statistics show important differences between populations. In general, non-Hispanic Americans have a higher overall incidence of cancer than Latinos. However, this trend varies depending on the type of disease.
Latinos, for example, have lower rates of breast and prostate cancer, but higher risks of liver, stomach, and cervical cancer. These differences reflect inequalities in access to health, socioeconomic conditions and environmental factors.
Types of cancer
Cancer is not a single disease. There are more than 100 types. The most common are carcinomas, which affect organs such as the lung, breast or colon. There are also sarcomas, which develop in bones and tissues; hematological cancers, such as leukemias and lymphomas; and tumors of the nervous system. Each type has its own characteristics, which requires specific treatments.
Age, gender and new trends
Cancer continues to be more common in people over 65 years of age. However, in recent years the incidence in young adults has increased. A worrying fact is that women under 50 today have higher rates than men in that age range.
This change has generated concern among specialists, who are investigating causes related to lifestyle, hormonal factors and the environment.
An old challenge, a current fight
Cancer is not a recent phenomenon. It has been present since the first complex organisms, long before the appearance of humans. However, science has advanced to a point where it is possible to confront it with increasingly precise tools.
From dinosaur fossils to gene therapies, the story of cancer reflects both the vulnerability of life and the human ability to understand and combat it. Today, that fight continues, with the hope of transforming an ancient disease into an increasingly controllable condition.
