The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear, and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth-Century America

by Barron H. Lerner

In this riveting narrative, Barron H. Lerner offers a superb medical and cultural history of our century-long battle with breast cancer. Revisiting the past, Lerner argues, can illuminate and clarify the dilemmas confronted by women with--and at risk for--the disease. Writing with insight and compassion, Lerner tells a compelling story of influential surgeons, anxious patients and committed activists. There are colorful portraits of the leading figures, ranging from the acerbic Dr. William Halsted, who pioneered the disfiguring radical mastectomy at the turn of the century to Rose Kushner, a brash journalist who relentlessly educated American women about breast cancer.
Lerner offers a fascinating account of the breast cancer the insistent efforts of physicians to vanquish the "enemy"; the fights waged by feminists to combat a paternalistic legacy that silenced patients; and the struggles of statisticians and researchers to generate definitive data in the face of the great risks and uncertainties raised by the disease. And for this new paperback edition, Lerner has included a postscript in which he discusses the most recent breast cancer do mammograms truly lower mortality rates or do they lead to unnecessary mastectomies?
In Lerner's hands, the fight against breast cancer opens a window on American medical practice over the last the pursuit of dramatic cures with sophisticated technologies, the ethical and legal challenges raised by informed consent, and the limited ability of scientific knowledge to provide quick solutions for serious illnesses. The Breast Cancer Wars tells a story that is of vital importance to modern breast cancer patients, their families and the clinicians who strive to treat and prevent this dreaded disease.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Medical, Economics, Politics, Health, American History

414 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Barron H. Lerner is a Professor of Medicine and Population Health at the New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Lerner received his M.D. in 1986 and his Ph.D. in history in 1996. His book, The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth-Century America, published by Oxford University Press, received the William H. Welch Medal of the American Association for the History of Medicine and was named one of the 26 most notable books of 2001 by the American Library Association. Dr. Lerner has published extensively in scholarly journals and contributes essays to the the Science Times section of The New York Times, the Times' "Well" blog, Slate, Atlantic.com and the Huffington Post. He has also appeared on numerous NPR broadcasts, including “Fresh Air,” “All Things Considered” and “Science Friday.” Dr. Lerner’s latest book, "The Good Doctor: A Father, A Son and the Evolution of Medical Ethics," was published by Beacon Press in May 2014.

Reviews

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Why was the patient seemingly invisible to the surgeon? Why did the surgeon consider her breasts expendable? Why did the patient remain silent? What was she thinking as her doctor casually lifted her remaining breast in front of a roomful of strangers?”

“By the early 1970s, women across the United States were vocally challenging the hegemony of both the radical mastectomy and the medical profession itself. Radical mastectomy, performed mostly by male surgeons on female patients, had become a touchstone for dissatisfaction with a patriarchal and authoritarian medical system. Far from remaining quiet, women with breast cancer carried tape recorders into doctor’s offices and wrote books and articles about their experiences.”

“A disease does not exist, the noted medical historian Charles Rosenberg has written, “until society decides that it does - by perceiving, naming and responding to it.”

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting history of breast cancer treatment in the US

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my history paper but an excellent eye opening book

[Amita MV · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but some chapters had so much info crammed into them that it felt almost like reading a list or something - I wanted him to go into more detail on some of the people and concepts the author only mentioned briefly. I often stopped to google some of the names etc to find out more.

Still worth reading.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a ton from this book. It has given me a lot of things to think about on many levels, medically, politically, emotionally. Amazing how emotionally charged issues related to breast cancer can be as opposed to other cancers. This book wasn't quite as good as Emperor of Maladies, but I learned almost as much from it.

[cathy]

Work book. Socio and gender politics of breast cancer. Again, work book.

[RUSA CODES · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the 2002 RUSA Notable Books winners. For the complete list, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rus...