3 ms·

How prevalent was colon cancer a) historically and b) since the advent of colonoscopies?

• rob74 5y ago
  How healthy was the average diet a) historically and b) since the advent of colonoscopies?
• Broken_Hippo 5y ago
  It doesn't take much to realize that no one can answer this. Causes of death get really weird as you go back in time. And it isn't like we can dig up bodies to know since soft tissue isn't usually preserved. We know cancer has been an issue for centuries, though. We've not been doing colonoscopies nearly as long and we still don't do them to the general population (Even if your country recommends you get them once you reach a certain age: Healthcare is sparse in many areas of the world). This does mean that we really don't know how prevalent it is except in some populations. And even then, we probably don't know since we do not routinely do them to younger folks. I'm sure there are all sorts of other issues with this, but I'm a layperson and I'm guessing you are too.