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World Cancer Day: 5 lesser-known facts about the disease

Nascimento Pinto

Mid-Day
Lifestyle
By Nascimento Pinto
Published Jan 27, 2026

World Cancer Day

Every year, World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 to raise awareness about the deadly disease and encourage prevention, detection and treatment

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When was cancer discovered?

Cancer was discovered in 3000 BCE in humans in the form of tumours in mummies and their bones, and was documented in the Edwin Smith Papyrus

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Naming the disease

The origins of the name of the disease see Hippocrates using carcinos (crab) and thus carcinoma because of the shape of the tumours spreading

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