New Information about Breast Cancer !

[Kalista]

Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, etc.

In November, a rare kind of breast cancer was found. A lady developed a rash on her breast, similar to that of young mothers who are nursing.
Because her mammogram had been clear, the doctor treated her with antibiotics for infections. After 2 rounds, it continued to get worse, so her doctor sent her for another mammogram. This time it showed a mass.
A biopsy found a fast growing malignancy. Chemo was started in order to shrink the growth; then a mastectomy was performed; then a full round of Chemo; then radiation. After about 9 months of intense treatment, she was given a clean bill of health.

She had one year of living each day to its fullest. Then the cancer returned to the liver area. She took 4 treatments and decided that she wanted quality of life, not the after effects of Chemo. She had 5 great months and she planned each detail of the final days. After a few days of needing morphine, she died. She left this message to be delivered to women everywhere:
Women, PLEASE be alert to anything that is not normal, and be per sistent in getting help as soon as possible.

Paget's Disease: This is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the outside of the breast, on the nipple and aureole It appeared as a rash, which later became 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 the doctor for that. Sometimes, it itched and was sore, but other than that it didn't bother me. It was just ugly and a nuisance, and could not be cleared up with all the creams prescribed by my doctor and dermatologist for the dermatitis on my eyes just prior to this outbreak. They seemed a little concerned but did not warn me it could be cancerous.

Now, I suspect not many women out there know a lesion or rash on the nipple or aureole can be breast cancer. (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 or infection, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care.)

What are the symptoms?

1. A persistent redness, oozing, and pcrusting of your nipple causing it to itch and burn (As I stated, mine did not itch or burn much, and had no oozing I was 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 center of nipple).

3. Usually only one nipple is effected. 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.

This message should be taken seriously and passed on to as many of your relatives and friends as possible; it could save someone's life.

My breast cancer has spread and metastasized to my bones after receiving mega doses of chemotherapy, 28 treatments of radiation and taking Tamaxofin. If this had been diagnosed as breast cancer in the beginning, perhaps it would not have spread...

TO ALL READERS:

This is sad as wom en are not aware of Paget's disease. If, by passing this around on the e-mail, we can make others aware of it and its potential danger, we are helping women everywhere.

Please, if you can, take a moment to forward this message to as many people as possible, especially to your family and friends. It only takes a moment, yet the results could save a life.

 

[Maria]

I do take mammogram check up in every year. All is good so far.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Thank you for share interesting information...

 

[WhisperHorse]

Thank you for telling us(Women). So, we can look out for that to making its safe for us. I always go to doctor to check for that every year, but sometime every 6 months. Thanks again!

 

[LakeTahoe]

I think I saw that before BUT BUT THANKS for sharing this topic! It does really helpful for us to know what's going on.

 

[DeafMommy0407]

Thank you. I passed this on to my family and emailed this info too. Thank you.

 

[MorriganTait]

http://www.susanlovemd.com/community/rumors/rumor1-pagets.html

Internet Rumors

Behind the Internet Rumor: The Truth About Paget's Disease

When pre-cancerous cells are seen in the breast, it is called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). When these cells are found in the nipple, it is called Paget's disease. Paget's disease was named after a physician named Paget who discovered and named two other unrelated conditions: Paget's disease of the bone and Paget's disease of the eyelid.

Both DCIS and Paget's disease are called pre-cancers because the disease that is present is not capable of spreading throughout the breast or to any other part of the body. They need to be treated because if left untreated it is possible for the disease to change from pre-cancerous to cancerous. And it is important that they be thoroughly examined by a breast specialist to be certain that they are not associated with a real cancer deeper in the breast.

One of the key symptoms of Paget's disease is an itchy nipple that appears crusty, red, and peeling. If your nipple is itchy and scaly it is most likely to be eczema of the nipple, especially if it is on both breasts. But if the condition does not get better, it is important to get a skin biopsy.

Paget's disease of the breast, when biopsied, will show cancer cells growing into the skin of the nipple. Sometimes it is associated with cancer inside the breasts; sometimes not. It is often associated with DCIS. We now think that there are probably two forms of Paget's: one that is associated with invasive cancer, and one that only involves the nipple.

If invasive cancer were present, the treatment would be the same as that of any other type of invasive cancer. For example, if the invasive portion of the cancer is far from the nipple, a mastectomy may be called for. If the disease involves only the nipple, and the lymph nodes show no signs of cancer (which is usually the case), then having the nipple and areola removed is probably all that is necessary. In the past the primary treatment for Paget's disease has been mastectomy, but it has been my experience that most women would prefer to keep the breast, even without the nipple. Furthermore, since there appears to be no evidence of improved survival with mastectomy, I strongly recommend considering the less drastic surgery.

Paget's disease is serious. And it needs to be investigated, but the patient described in the Internet e-mail legend undoubtedly had a deeper and more dangerous cancer at the time the Paget's disease appeared.