Scientists find cancer-ridden 3,200-year-old skeleton

The skeleton was discovered close to the River Nile in Sudan Credit: Trustees of the British Museum/PA Wire

The remains of a skeleton discovered by a team from a British university could help further our understanding of cancer.

The 3,200-year-old remains were found in Sudan by archaeologists from Durham University.

The skeleton's bones showed evidence of metastatic carcinoma, a type of cancer. Credit: Trustees of the British Museum/PA Wire

Analysis of the bones showed the man, aged between 25 and 35, had died from a cancer called metastatic carcinoma.

Academics say it is the earliest ever example of a body with metastatic cancer, and it could help scientists understand how the disease develops.


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