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most notably the radical mastectomy which, although a cruel procedure, saved many women from death by breast cancer

Cruel procedure? Are you saying that the physicians were sadists? It's the cancer that's cruel. The operation was merely the way to deal with the problem with the least overall pain and anguish. The radical mastectomy isn't used as widely now, but at the time they were certainly doing the best they could on the information they had. It's hardly cruel.