Disturbing Paget Emails (Rumour Control)

There has been some disturbing emails going around about Paget's Disease of the nipple. Let me make this very clear to all:

1. Paget's is NOT some new disease, it has been diagnosed and treated for many years
2. Paget's is quite rare and although it used to be mis-diagnosed a lot the symptoms are no longer over-looked very often
3. Paget's is a problem of women over 50; it very rarely shows up in younger women or in men
4. A simple skin biopsy taken of the nipple can diagnose or rule out Paget's immediately

Paget's can be associated with breast cancers and also other hormonally based cancers like ovarian and uterine. Therefore a diagnosis of Paget's diseases of the nipple will entail other tests such as:

1. Mammograms
2. U/S of the breast and Pelvis
3. Skin, cell and tissue biopsies of the area

Although you might ignore some skin irritation symptoms for a short period, you would very shortly clue in that this irritation is different:

1. it starts on the nipple and spreads outward
2. it doesn't go away or get better with time, creams or ointments
3. it worsens, getting progressively deeper and wider
4. begins to weep and stays inflammed all the time
5. Paget's disease may or may not be associated with any breast abnormality; therefore there may be no breast symptoms at all aside from the nipple abnormalities.

Any change in the normal appearance, feel, orientation or contour of the breast that shows up during normal, monthly BSE should be noted and brought to the attention of a health care profesional. For BSE tips and instruction search for the BSE articles in the archives.