A pair of ancient Egyptian skulls, both thousands of years old, belonged to some of history's earliest known cancer patients, according to a study published Wednesday. The skulls had cut marks around cancerous growths, providing evidence that ancient Egyptians had explored ways to treat cancer through operations, said the study published in Frontiers in Medicine journal.

The ancient Egyptians were renowned for their medical expertise. Texts describe how they would treat a range of illnesses and injuries, in some cases by building prosthetic limbs and inserting false teeth. This glimpse into cancer treatment is a “milestone in the history of medicine,” the study said.

“We see that although ancient Egyptians were able to deal with complex cranial fractures, cancer was still a medical knowledge frontier,” one of the study's authors, Tatiana Tondini, said in a statement.

The study’s lead author, Professor Edgard Camarós, added that the finding was “unique evidence of how ancient Egyptian medicine would have tried to deal with or explore cancer more than 4,000 years ago.” Camarós, a paleopathologist at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and his team examined two skulls held by the University of Cambridge's Duckworth Collection, using micro-CT scanning and microscopic bone surface analysis.

The ancient Egyptians' understanding of medicine is further illuminated by this discovery. They had detailed texts on treating various ailments, demonstrating advanced knowledge in areas such as surgery, dentistry, and prosthetics. However, the ability to treat cancer was evidently still in its nascent stages, as indicated by the cut marks on the skulls.

One of the skulls belonged to a male and was dated from 2,687 to 2,345 B.C., while the other was a female and dated from 663 to 343 B.C. The male skull had a large lesion surrounded by approximately 30 small metastasized lesions. To their great surprise, researchers found cut marks around the lesions.

“When we first observed the cut marks under the microscope, we could not believe what was in front of us,” Tondini said. The cut marks provided "unique evidence of how ancient Egyptian medicine would have tried to deal with or explore cancer," added another co-author, Professor Albert Isidro, a surgical oncologist at the University Hospital Sagrat Cor in Barcelona, Spain.

The female skull also had a large lesion consistent with a cancerous tumor that led to bone destruction, indicating the person might have been older. There are also two healed lesions from traumatic injuries, the study said. This suggests that ancient Egyptians may have attempted to surgically treat cancerous tumors, highlighting their advanced approach to medical treatment and their willingness to perform complex surgical procedures.

“We wanted to learn about the role of cancer in the past, how prevalent this disease was in antiquity, and how ancient societies interacted with this pathology,” said Tondini, a researcher at Germany’s University of Tübingen.

The findings provide a rare and fascinating insight into how ancient civilizations approached the treatment of diseases that are still prevalent today. They reveal not only the medical challenges faced by the ancient Egyptians but also their innovative approaches to treating serious illnesses.

This study marks a significant step forward in understanding the history of medicine, showing that even in ancient times, there was a concerted effort to understand and treat complex medical conditions such as cancer. The discovery underscores the sophistication of ancient Egyptian medical practices and their contributions to the early development of surgical techniques.

The ongoing research into these ancient skulls promises to shed more light on the medical practices of the time and the ways in which ancient civilizations sought to combat diseases. As researchers continue to study these and other ancient remains, they hope to uncover more about the evolution of medical knowledge and practices throughout human history.

Additionally, the study offers a unique perspective on the early understanding of cancer, suggesting that even in ancient times, there was a recognition of this disease and an attempt to mitigate its effects through surgical intervention. The meticulous examination of these skulls not only provides insight into the medical practices of ancient Egypt but also highlights the continuity and progression of medical science through the ages. The researchers' use of advanced technology to analyze these ancient remains bridges the gap between past and present, underscoring the timeless human endeavor to fight disease and improve health.