Story highlights Cancer has become more common recently because of the modern lifestyleAncient Greece first identified cancer as a specific illnessThis story was originally published on CNN.com in 2014. (CNN) Cancer is widespread today, but it doesn't appear to have been in the ancient world. study in the journal Nature Reviews Cancer suggests that cancer has become a more common disease only recently, because of modern lifestyle. Rosalie David, professor at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and Michael Zimmerman, professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, explored the evidence of cancer in the fossil record of early humans, in ancient Egypt and in ancient Greece. To say that pollution has helped make cancer prevalent is highly controversial, said James Olson, historian at Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Source: CNN November 14, 2016 04:23 UTC