Karkinos in ancient medicine: More than just fatal cancer.

The article focuses on the etymology and early medical uses of the term "cancer," derived from the Greek word karkinos (καρκίνος), meaning "crab." It highlights that ancient medical texts, including those by Hippocrates, Galen, Paulus of Aegina, and Aretaeus of Cappadocia, used karkinos to describe a range of abnormal growths, both benign and malignant, rather than exclusively fatal tumors. The term onkos (ὄγκος) referred broadly to abnormal masses, while karkinos often indicated more aggressive swellings but was not limited to deadly conditions. This nuanced understanding challenges interpretations that equate karkinos solely with lethal cancer, reflecting a more complex view in ancient medical thought.