[roving]

I find it odd we never really heard about cancer until the 20th century.

[Reily]

Because prior to the 20th century you primarily died of infection.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Partly it is people living long enough and growing big enough to raise their chances of getting cancer.

Yeah, tall people have a twenty percent higher chance at getting cancer just because taller means you have more cells and having more cells means there is a greater chance something will go wonky.

Which might be why fat people tend to get cancer at a greater rate as well.

But cancer has been found in the bones of our very remote ancestors so it was always around.