Early Cancer Theory

Galen was a Roman physician and a believer in the Humoral Theory of Medicine proposed by Hippocrates. He believed cancer to be curable in early stages, and that advanced tumors should be operated upon either by cutting around the affected area or by cauterization. Galen thought unhealthy diet and bad climate were directly connected to cancer.1 2

• 1Morton, Leslie T., and Moore, Robert J. A Chronology of Medicine and Related Sciences. Aldershot, England: Scholar Press, 1997
• 2Karpozilos, A., and Pavlidis, N. "The Treatment of Cancer in Greek Antiquity." European Journal of Cancer. 40 (2004): 2033-2040. [PUBMED]