Systematic assessment of bone and soft tissue tumors on whole-body CTs of 45 mummies from ancient Egypt

Abstract

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.