In times past, a doctor would tell a woman with breast cancer that her only hope lay in a radical mastectomy ​ — a disfiguring operation that removed the breast, lymph nodes in the chest and armpit, and chest muscles.
Varasematel aegadel ütles arst rinnavähki põdevale naisele tavapäraselt, et ainsaks lootuseks on radikaalne mastektoomia – kehakuju moonutav operatsioon, millega eemaldatakse rind, rinna ja kaenlaaluse lümfisõlmed ning rinnalihased.