Bathsheba's Breast: Women, Cancer and History is a history lesson on breast cancer.

In 1967 an Italian surgeon looked at Rembrandt's painting Bathsheba at her bath (front cover on book) and concluded that she had died of breast cancer. The woman in the painting was Rembrandt's mistress and showed signs in the painting of pitted skin on the breast and swollen lymph nodes. You can actually see what the surgeon saw when you look at the painting.

This is what is written about on the front flap of the book - it caught my attention instantly. Even though I have thought in my mind what it must have been like in the past to have had breast cancer, I really wasn't aware of how far back they can track the disease. We know that not so far back in our day when women didn't talk about breast cancer. Can you imagine what it was like in ancient times?

It's come a long way - but I wanted to know the path that has led us to today's breast cancer surgery and treatment. They did have some crazy remedies back then and some women died rather than have their breast removed. Removed with no pain killers or sterilization I might add.

The book keeps us going through the centuries and decades and what led to the changes in breast cancer treatment that we see today.