Baby Place

Hannah's Mommy · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 601 Location: Toronto

Saw this at another site and thought I'd pass it along!

I dont know if any of you have seen this email being sent around.If you havent check it out..if you have its worth reading again!!

New kind of Breast Cancer - DO NOT DELETE
Please forward to all of the women in your lives . 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
persistent
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
de
lays in detection and care.

What are the symptoms? 1. A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting
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 women 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.