Willy Meyer

Willy Meyer was a German-American surgeon who independently developed the radical mastectomy for breast cancer in 1894, simultaneously with William Halsted. His approach included removal of the breast, pectoral muscles, and axillary lymph nodes in continuity. Meyer contributed to the early development of systematic cancer surgical principles and thoracic surgery techniques. His work alongside Halsted's established the radical approach to breast cancer surgery that defined treatment for decades. He represents the independent development of evidence-based surgical principles in the late 19th century.