A pathology of progress? Locating the historiography of cancer

Arnold-Forster, Agnes

doi:10.1017/s0007087416001175

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…From maps of the Victorian cancer landscape to becoming the "emperor of all maladies," histories of cancer regularly avoid specificity and engage the multiple ways in which cancer and its metaphors have shaped experiences, politics and cultures of sickness in the twentieth century. 27 The anthropologist and historian Julie Livingston finally returns to comorbidity to describe the veiled experiences of emerging cancers and to problematize the powerful taxonomies between infectious disease, non-infectious conditions and risk-factors within the co-occurring epidemics of TB, HIV, hypertension and diabetes in Botswana. 28 Disease specificity, from the ubiquitous perspective of living and dying comorbid lives around the globe can appear as a somewhat misleading "intellectual conquest."…”

Section: Comorbiditymentioning

confidence: 99%

Coinfection, Comorbidity, and Syndemics: On the Edges of Epidemic Historiography

Engelmann

2023

Isis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Comorbiditymentioning

confidence: 99%

Coinfection, Comorbidity, and Syndemics: On the Edges of Epidemic Historiography

Engelmann

2023

Isis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Cancer is often referred to as the “Pathology of the Century” assuming the connotations of an endemic disease spread throughout the world. It has also been defined as the “the modern disease par excellence” (Roy Porter) or even the “the quintessential product of modernity” (Siddhartha Mukherjee) (Bynum and Porter, 2005 ; Mukherjee, 2011 ; Arnold-Forster, 2016 ). These two definitions are universally recognized and are justified by the drastic increase in incidence and mortality, witnessed since the end of the eighteenth century until today, where cancer represents the second leading cause of death worldwide (Ferlay et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Cancer Pharmacological Treatments at the Turn of the Third Millennium

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The medical history of cancer began millennia ago. Historical findings of patients with cancer date back to ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations, where this disease was predominantly treated with radical surgery and cautery that were often ineffective, leading to the death of patients. Over the centuries, important discoveries allowed to identify the biological and pathological features of tumors, without however contributing to the development of effective therapeutic approaches until the end of the 1800s, when the discovery of X-rays and their use for the treatment of tumors provided the first modern therapeutic approach in medical oncology. However, a real breakthrough took place after the Second World War, with the discovery of cytotoxic antitumor drugs and the birth of chemotherapy for the treatment of various hematological and solid tumors. Starting from this epochal turning point, there has been an exponential growth of studies concerning the use of new drugs for cancer treatment. The second fundamental breakthrough in the field of oncology and pharmacology took place at the beginning of the ‘80s, thanks to molecular and cellular biology studies that allowed the development of specific drugs for some molecular targets involved in neoplastic processes, giving rise to targeted therapy. Both chemotherapy and target therapy have significantly improved the survival and quality of life of cancer patients inducing sometimes complete tumor remission. Subsequently, at the turn of the third millennium, thanks to genetic engineering studies, there was a further advancement of clinical oncology and pharmacology with the introduction of monoclonal antibodies and immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of advanced or metastatic tumors, for which no effective treatment was available before. Today, cancer research is always aimed at the study and development of new therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment. Currently, several researchers are focused on the development of cell therapies, anti-tumor vaccines, and new biotechnological drugs that have already shown promising results in preclinical studies, therefore, in the near future, we will certainly assist to a new revolution in the field of medical oncology.

show abstract

“…Cancer, the second prime reason for deaths around the world is frequently mentioned as the “Pathology of the Century” presuming the connotations of an endemic disease expanding all around the globe. It has also been explained as “the modern disease par excellence” (Roy Porter) or even the “quintessential product of modernity” (Siddhartha Mukherjee) (Arnold‐Forster, 2016; Bynum et al, 1993; Mukherjee, 2011). The most fundamental trait of cancer or the mass of cells is their capability to survive ahead of their normal life span and to maintain chronic proliferation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anticancer activity and other biomedical properties of β‐sitosterol: Bridging phytochemistry and current pharmacological evidence for future translational approaches

Nandi,

Nag,

Khatua

et al. 2023

Phytotherapy Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sterols, including β‐sitosterol, are essential components of cellular membranes in both plant and animal cells. Despite being a major phytosterol in various plant materials, comprehensive scientific knowledge regarding the properties of β‐sitosterol and its potential applications is essential for scholarly pursuits and utilization purposes. β‐sitosterol shares similar chemical characteristics with cholesterol and exhibits several pharmacological activities without major toxicity. This study aims to bridge the gap between phytochemistry and current pharmacological evidence of β‐sitosterol, focusing on its anticancer activity and other biomedical properties. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of β‐sitosterol's potential for future translational approaches. A thorough examination of the literature was conducted to gather relevant information on the biological properties of β‐sitosterol, particularly its anticancer therapeutic potential. Various databases were searched, including PubMed/MedLine, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science using appropriate keywords. Studies investigating the effects of β‐sitosterol on different types of cancer were analyzed, focusing on mechanisms of action, pharmacological screening, and chemosensitizing properties. Modern pharmacological screening studies have revealed the potential anticancer therapeutic properties of β‐sitosterol against various types of cancer, including leukemia, lung, stomach, breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer. β‐sitosterol has demonstrated chemosensitizing effects on cancer cells, interfering with multiple cell signaling pathways involved in proliferation, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, survival, metastasis invasion, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Structural derivatives of β‐sitosterol have also shown anti‐cancer effects. However, research in the field of drug delivery and the detailed mode of action of β‐sitosterol‐mediated anticancer activities remains limited. β‐sitosterol, as a non‐toxic compound with significant pharmacological potential, exhibits promising anticancer effects against various cancer types. Despite being relatively less potent than conventional cancer chemotherapeutics, β‐sitosterol holds potential as a safe and effective nutraceutical against cancer. Further comprehensive studies are recommended to explore the biological properties of β‐sitosterol, including its mode of action, and develop novel formulations for its potential use in cancer treatment. This review provides a foundation for future investigations and highlights the need for further research on β‐sitosterol as a potent superfood in combating cancer.

show abstract

A pathology of progress? Locating the historiography of cancer

Cited by 5 publications

References 10 publications

Coinfection, Comorbidity, and Syndemics: On the Edges of Epidemic Historiography

Coinfection, Comorbidity, and Syndemics: On the Edges of Epidemic Historiography

Evolution of Cancer Pharmacological Treatments at the Turn of the Third Millennium

Anticancer activity and other biomedical properties of β‐sitosterol: Bridging phytochemistry and current pharmacological evidence for future translational approaches

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About