Who First Discovered Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death for men. While treatments for the disease continue to improve with each passing decade, the disease itself has likely been around since ancient times. Prostate cancer was first described during the 1500s, but was not identified until the 1800s. Many men are responsible for laying the foundations of our modern understanding of prostate cancer.

What is the prostate?

• The prostate is a gland just beneath the bladder, and is present only in men. The gland assists in the production of semen.

Early References to Cancer

• Cancer has existed since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians wrote about various forms of cancer and their treatments as long as 5,000 years ago.

Niccolo Massa

• The man credited with writing the first description of the prostate was the Italian anatomist Niccolo Massa, in 1526.

Andreas Vesalius

• Andreas Vesalius, a famous artist and author, was the first to create a detailed drawing of the prostate in the year 1538. Vesalius wrote the groundbreaking medical treatise "De humani corporis fabrica."

Dr. John Adams

• The man credited with the first identification of prostate cancer is the British surgeon John Adams, who wrote an article about his discovery in the medical journal "The Lancet" in 1853. In the article, Adams discusses his treatment of a 59 year old man.