Abstract
Breast cancer is a daunting disease and constitutes a continuing medical health problem
through the ages for millions of women worldwide. Physicians, from the early periods
of recorded history have tried to heal breast cancer patients, with results that were
fairly promising at times and disappointing at others. The science of medicine evolved
through the ages under the careful scrutiny and critical thought of the many prominent
scholars and researchers of their times who constantly added to the therapeutic armamentarium.
Surgeons described new therapeutic approaches, and anatomists, through their elaborate
descriptions, added useful insights on the art of healing. Theories about the origin
of cancer change as new scientific data are presented and validated. Although the
Middle Ages hindered temporarily any progress in the field of medicine, the Renaissance
became the vaulting horse for science in its broadest sense. However, it was not until
the 19th century, with the discovery of anesthesia, the introduction of antisepsis,
and the establishment of microscopy that giant scientific leaps in the field of breast
cancer treatment occurred. The 20th century with the development of chemotherapy and
radiation and the undertaking of numerous clinical trials offered new insights regarding
breast cancer management. This article attempts a historical journey through the ages
unfolding the problem of breast cancer through the different eras.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 16, 2009
Accepted:
March 24,
2009
Received in revised form:
February 13,
2009
Received:
June 3,
2008
Footnotes
☆This article takes a historical journey through the ages unfolding the problem of breast cancer from antiquity through to the end of the 20th century.
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
