Year of birth: 1918

Year of death: 2019

Wikipedia

BIOGRAPHY

Fisher and his pathologist brother Edwin theorized that breast cancer is a systemic disease from its inception, based on studies in mice and in women with advanced breast cancers. This theory is incompatible with the nature of an adenocarcinoma during its early stages of development. Fisher claimed that “… variations in the treatment of locoregional disease were unlikely to affect survival,” and systemic adjuvant therapy should not be delayed. The implication for the surgeon is that local disease control cannot affect survival outcomes, a long-held belief of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP). Additionally, Fisher predicted, “it is likely that surgery for the disease will continue to diminish in importance as improved methods of detection and tumour cell eradication become more commonly used” (Fisher B. 1999).

Reference

Fisher B 1999. From Halsted to prevention and beyond: advances in the management of breast cancer during the twentieth century. Eur J Cancer, 35 (14), 1963-73. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(99)00217-8.