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Francois de la Boe Sylvius
French physician Francois de la Boe Sylvius hypothesized that breast cancer came from a chemical process that transformed lymphatic fluids from acidic to acrid. -
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The History Of Breast Cancer
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Henri Le Dran
Henri Le Dran, suggested that surgical removal of the tumor could help treat breast cancer. This lasted well into the twentieth century and led to the creation of the radical mastectomy. -
Jean Astruc
French physician Jean Astruc took a piece of breast cancer tissue along with a slice of beef and burned them both in an oven and chewed them. Both tasted the same, and he concluded the tumor tissue did not contain unusual amounts of bile or acid. -
George Beatson
Scottish surgeon George Beatson discovered that removing the ovaries from one of his patients shrank her breast tumor. As this caught on, many surgeons began removing both ovaries and performing a radical mastectomy for breast cancer. -
Janet Lane-Claypon
First case-controlled study on breast cancer epidemiology was done by Janet Lane-Claypon. -
George Crile
George Crile suggested that cancer was not localized but rather is spread throughout the body. -
Betty Ford
Betty Ford reveals her battle with breast cancer and her mastectomy, raising public awareness of the disease. -
Bernard Fisher
Bernard Fisher published results using simpler breast-conserving surgery followed by radiation or chemotherapy. He noted that these were just as effective as radical mastectomy. -
Susan G. Komen
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is founded. Now known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure, it's the most widely known, largest, best-funded breast cancer organization in the United States. -
The Pink Ribbon
The pink ribbon is adopted as the official symbol of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.