Thank you for this. It’s not only breast cancer but so many “women diseases” have been treated this way. The patriarchy does not take kindly to women outperforming them. Dr. Peters is to be commended for not taking their shit.
When I was 20 years old, back in the early Seventies, I got a lump in my right breast. I went to the only doctor I knew--a surgeon who I had met in the ER once when I needed stitches. He did an aspiration biopsy, and could get no fluid (cysts have fluid, tumors don't). So he scheduled me for an excisional biopsy, where they remove the lump and look at it under a microscope. He told me that before they could do so, I would have to sign a release allowing a radical if the frozen section came back positive, and that such sections were incorrect FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TIME!!! But that I wouldn't have to worry about it because he had been trained in Canada, and they knew that 5 and 10 year survival rates were the same for lumpectomy followed by radiation as for radical followed by radiation, so he would not do the mastectomy even if the frozen section came back positive, but instead wait the three days for the more precise test. But that I would HAVE to sign the release, because otherwise the hospital would not admit me for the surgical biopsy. As it turned out, I had fibrocystic disease, and the reason the aspiration biopsy did not show it was that the larges cyst in the mass was the size of a pinhead; the biopsy needle couldn't find a big enough cyst from which to withdraw fluid.
I was very, very lucky; most women did not find a doctor trained outside the US and had completely unnecessary crippling surgeries. Not only were they unnecessary because the surgery in most cases provided no survival benefit over the far less invasive lumpectomy, but because they were not even given the option of having the biopsy, getting the most accurate test results back, and THEN deciding if they wanted the radical or not. Talk about lack of agency!
Hey Deborah. This is sad but true. When Betty Ford had her surgery, she was treated similarly. It was a woman named Rose Kushner that single handedly fought to seperate the biopsy and the surgery. Would love to have you over on Cancer Culture if you're interested!
So glad to know this. I'm continually appalled by the misogyny and neglect of women. As a citizen of the United States, I'm horrified at the direction that the conservative politicians have taken in this regard. Even worse, I'm a resident of Indiana, the Florida of the North. I continue to vote a straight Democratic (progressive) ticket, even though I know I'm throwing it away, just to feel that I've maintained a little integrity.
The reason (or a large part of the reason) for the misogyny and neglect is that society allows men to expect so little of themselves. Yes, I realize that it is more complicated than this, but certainly a good place for us [men] to start.
Sadly there still exist shallow-skulled fuckwits who will divorce or dump a woman who has to have a mastectomy. I'm friends with a woman whose ex told her that one reason he filed for divorce was he no longer found her attractive post-mastectomy.
Normally I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone, but if he gets testicular cancer and/or anal cancer I'll call that poetic justice.
I’m male and stick with my primary care physician that I trust implicitly, who happens to be a woman. My Dr was the one that confirmed the suspicion of Multiple Sclerosis made by my sister, who also happens to be a woman Doctor.
I have personal, first hand observation of the fight for legitimacy in the medical community women still face.
If I had been faced with fighting thyroid cancer in the first year of pre-med as my sister did, then to have to fight sexist attitudes and treatment, I’d have been apoplectic.
My neurologist is a woman. When I was trying to get in to see a neuro, I was asked if I was ok with it being a woman. Not just a woman, but a foreigner with a funny name that has darker skin! The horror!
To which I replied “why would I want anyone else? She sounds like the specialist I need to see. Because she’s a woman? Because I might be scared of women? Self conscious around women? My sister is a doctor. My primary care is a woman. Why should that even matter?!”
I know the reason is that men are, by and large, troglodytes. Even many of those that claim they aren’t sexist have old phobias and misconceptions ingrained deeply.
I wish every man had grown up with strong adult women in their lives that took no shit from men, such as I and my siblings did. We might not be as dependent on women voting to save our sorry male asses, and as a nation now, but here we are.
The problem with patriarchy, as it applies to medicine, is that men allow their one-eyed trouser snake (Thanks Robin Williams!) to think for them, with their myopic, squinty vision. Dr. Peters reinvigorated the concept of informed consent, with benefits for men and women.
Thank you so much for sharing this great story. Unfortunately, you are correct when you say women must always fight to assert their rights over their own bodies as especially evidenced last year in the United States.
In the early 70's, I was a nursing major. I saw first hand the abomination of a radical mastectomy. The surgeon was a brute - just absolutely disgusting what he did to women.
Hey Mercedes! Would love to have your perspective over at Cancer Culture! I thankfully never saw a radical mastectomy but heard from women who saw their mothers and grandmothers scars. Awful. Thanks for sharing!
A lot of the misogyne comes from religion. Notice if you will, how religion is male dominated. So it's little wonder that their religion says that a woman is subject to a man.
So she was basically singing into the wind for 40 years before the guys gave her breakthrough real respect. People like her make me wish there was a heaven.
Great article. Thanks James. Women’s brains are smothered in many parts of our earth. When the veils are lifted a nation’s brainpower is more than doubled. Billserle.com.
Thank you! In 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was lucky enough to be a good candidate for lumpectomy with sentinel node dissection and radiation. I‘ve not needed reconstruction, I have no lymphedema and I remain no evidence of disease. I didn‘t know about Dr Peters but am so grateful for her research.
My gyn/surgeon is female. She is excellent. My mom died in 1991 of breast cancer. She had a radical, but was also farther advanced than I.
The idea that one must have a radical is still pervasive. And the patriarchy still dominates medicine. 🙄
Thank you for this. It’s not only breast cancer but so many “women diseases” have been treated this way. The patriarchy does not take kindly to women outperforming them. Dr. Peters is to be commended for not taking their shit.
X 1000000000000
When I was 20 years old, back in the early Seventies, I got a lump in my right breast. I went to the only doctor I knew--a surgeon who I had met in the ER once when I needed stitches. He did an aspiration biopsy, and could get no fluid (cysts have fluid, tumors don't). So he scheduled me for an excisional biopsy, where they remove the lump and look at it under a microscope. He told me that before they could do so, I would have to sign a release allowing a radical if the frozen section came back positive, and that such sections were incorrect FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TIME!!! But that I wouldn't have to worry about it because he had been trained in Canada, and they knew that 5 and 10 year survival rates were the same for lumpectomy followed by radiation as for radical followed by radiation, so he would not do the mastectomy even if the frozen section came back positive, but instead wait the three days for the more precise test. But that I would HAVE to sign the release, because otherwise the hospital would not admit me for the surgical biopsy. As it turned out, I had fibrocystic disease, and the reason the aspiration biopsy did not show it was that the larges cyst in the mass was the size of a pinhead; the biopsy needle couldn't find a big enough cyst from which to withdraw fluid.
I was very, very lucky; most women did not find a doctor trained outside the US and had completely unnecessary crippling surgeries. Not only were they unnecessary because the surgery in most cases provided no survival benefit over the far less invasive lumpectomy, but because they were not even given the option of having the biopsy, getting the most accurate test results back, and THEN deciding if they wanted the radical or not. Talk about lack of agency!
Hey Deborah. This is sad but true. When Betty Ford had her surgery, she was treated similarly. It was a woman named Rose Kushner that single handedly fought to seperate the biopsy and the surgery. Would love to have you over on Cancer Culture if you're interested!
It’s sad that in the 113 years since this amazing woman’s birth, women are still having their right to make their own choices taken from them.
So glad to know this. I'm continually appalled by the misogyny and neglect of women. As a citizen of the United States, I'm horrified at the direction that the conservative politicians have taken in this regard. Even worse, I'm a resident of Indiana, the Florida of the North. I continue to vote a straight Democratic (progressive) ticket, even though I know I'm throwing it away, just to feel that I've maintained a little integrity.
BTW, "misogynistic fuckgiraffes" is pure gold!
The reason (or a large part of the reason) for the misogyny and neglect is that society allows men to expect so little of themselves. Yes, I realize that it is more complicated than this, but certainly a good place for us [men] to start.
Sadly there still exist shallow-skulled fuckwits who will divorce or dump a woman who has to have a mastectomy. I'm friends with a woman whose ex told her that one reason he filed for divorce was he no longer found her attractive post-mastectomy.
Normally I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone, but if he gets testicular cancer and/or anal cancer I'll call that poetic justice.
Now I’m tryna decide which to hope for the fuckwit … testicular or anal.
Just another example why I stick to female physicians, being one myself. I have just seen too much to be happy with a male doctor.
I’ve done the same.
I’m male and stick with my primary care physician that I trust implicitly, who happens to be a woman. My Dr was the one that confirmed the suspicion of Multiple Sclerosis made by my sister, who also happens to be a woman Doctor.
I have personal, first hand observation of the fight for legitimacy in the medical community women still face.
If I had been faced with fighting thyroid cancer in the first year of pre-med as my sister did, then to have to fight sexist attitudes and treatment, I’d have been apoplectic.
My neurologist is a woman. When I was trying to get in to see a neuro, I was asked if I was ok with it being a woman. Not just a woman, but a foreigner with a funny name that has darker skin! The horror!
To which I replied “why would I want anyone else? She sounds like the specialist I need to see. Because she’s a woman? Because I might be scared of women? Self conscious around women? My sister is a doctor. My primary care is a woman. Why should that even matter?!”
I know the reason is that men are, by and large, troglodytes. Even many of those that claim they aren’t sexist have old phobias and misconceptions ingrained deeply.
I wish every man had grown up with strong adult women in their lives that took no shit from men, such as I and my siblings did. We might not be as dependent on women voting to save our sorry male asses, and as a nation now, but here we are.
Same. And thank you for being a doctor.
The problem with patriarchy, as it applies to medicine, is that men allow their one-eyed trouser snake (Thanks Robin Williams!) to think for them, with their myopic, squinty vision. Dr. Peters reinvigorated the concept of informed consent, with benefits for men and women.
I keep hoping Robin will come back to run the world with the assistance of women.
It will be women who will take down the repugnants and dumpster for taking away a women's rights !!
Thank you so much for sharing this great story. Unfortunately, you are correct when you say women must always fight to assert their rights over their own bodies as especially evidenced last year in the United States.
Dammit. True.
In the early 70's, I was a nursing major. I saw first hand the abomination of a radical mastectomy. The surgeon was a brute - just absolutely disgusting what he did to women.
Hey Mercedes! Would love to have your perspective over at Cancer Culture! I thankfully never saw a radical mastectomy but heard from women who saw their mothers and grandmothers scars. Awful. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for enlightening us on this medical hero.
A lot of the misogyne comes from religion. Notice if you will, how religion is male dominated. So it's little wonder that their religion says that a woman is subject to a man.
So she was basically singing into the wind for 40 years before the guys gave her breakthrough real respect. People like her make me wish there was a heaven.
Great article. Thanks James. Women’s brains are smothered in many parts of our earth. When the veils are lifted a nation’s brainpower is more than doubled. Billserle.com.
Thank you! In 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was lucky enough to be a good candidate for lumpectomy with sentinel node dissection and radiation. I‘ve not needed reconstruction, I have no lymphedema and I remain no evidence of disease. I didn‘t know about Dr Peters but am so grateful for her research.
My gyn/surgeon is female. She is excellent. My mom died in 1991 of breast cancer. She had a radical, but was also farther advanced than I.
The idea that one must have a radical is still pervasive. And the patriarchy still dominates medicine. 🙄
Congratulations on your survivorship! Would love to have you with us over at Cancer Culture if you're interested!