The History of Breast Cancer Detection

by Contributing Writer

Overview

Breast cancer detection has a long history, which reaches all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. However, breast cancer remained a mystery until modern times when it was hypothesized a few centuries ago as to what caused it. Today, modern technology allows doctors to diagnose the disease as early as possible so they can treat patients to increase their chances of survival.
When Was Breast Cancer First Recorded?

The ancient Egyptians were the first to document breast cancer. In the Edwin Smith Papyrus, the chronicler describes breast cancer in a male patient: "If thou examinst a man having bulging tumors on his breast..." Essentially, the Egyptian physician diagnosed the breast tumor by sight and touch. However, the writer of the papyrus offers a grim prognosis for the patient. He suggests cauterizing the tumor, but that is all the advice he could give.

Who Discovered the Cause of Breast Cancer?

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, surgeons learned more about human anatomy through dissection and began to hypothesize how significant lymph nodes were to the body's functioning. They came to believe that the lymph nodes played a role in the development of breast cancer. The French surgeon Jean Petit and later the Scottish surgeon Benjamin Bell pioneered the removal of the lymph nodes, breast tissue, and the surrounding muscle.
What Was the Status of Breast Cancer Research in the Nineteenth Century?

During the late 1800s, William Stewart Halstead continued performing radical mastectomies. As in the previous century, this procedure removed the lymph nodes, surrounding muscle and breast tissue. This operation was the typical treatment for breast cancer up through the 1970s.
What Technologies Developed to Discover Breast Cancer?

Mammography was developed in 1960. However, mammography as the public is familiar with it was not available until 1969. Doctors began using mammography extensively to diagnose breast cancer in the mid-1970s.
How Is Breast Cancer Detected Today?

Today many women discover breast cancer through self-examination when they find lumps on their breasts. However, the best way to identify breast cancer is through mammography. If a spot is detected, the woman's doctor will perform a biopsy to find out if the lump is cancerous. If it is, the woman will be treated appropriately to fight the disease.

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