Marcia
Make sure your doctor does a biopsy. See letter I received via email. PAGET'S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE Is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the outside of the breast, on the nipple and aureole, it appears as a rash which later becomes a lesion with a crusty outer edge? I would not have ever suspected it to be breast cancer but it was. My nipple never seemed any different to me, but the rash bothered me so I went to my doctor's office for that. Sometimes it itched and was sore, but other than that, it didn't really bother me, was just ugly and a nuisance, and would not clear up with all the creams given by doctor and dermatologist for the dermatitis on my eyes that I had just had prior to this outbreak. Therefore, I went in to doctors office for further assistance. They seemed a little concerned, but did not warn me it could be cancerous. Now I suspect there are not many women out there who know a lesion or rash on the nipple or aureole can be breast cancer. What are the symptoms? Mine started out as a single red pimple on the aureole. One of the biggest problems with PAGET'S disease of the nipple is that the symptoms appear to be harmless. It is frequently thought to be a skin inflammation, mastitis or infections, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care. The symptoms include: 1. A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting of your nipple causing it to itch and burn. ( As I stated mine did not itch much or burn, and no oozing was I aware of, but it did have a crust along the outer edge on one side.) 2. A sore on your nipple that will not heal. (Mine was on the aureole area with a whitish thick looking area in the center of my nipple) 3. Usually only one nipple is affected. How is it diagnosed? Your doctor will do a physical exam, and should suggest having a mammogram of both breasts done immediately. Even though the redness, oozing and crusting closely resemble dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), your doctor should suspect cancer if the sore is only on one breast. Your doctor should order a biopsy of your sore to confirm what is going on. They will take a sample of your breast tissue in that area to test for cancer. If the cancer is only in the nipple and not in the breast, your doctor may recommend just removing the nipple and surrounding tissue or suggest radiation treatments. If by passing this around on the e-mail we can make others aware of it and it's potential danger, we are helping women everywhere. PLEASE SEND THIS TO ALL THE WOMEN YOU CARE ABOUT