Please inform 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 two rounds and it continued to get
worse, her doctor sent her for another mammogram, and this time it showed a
mass.

A biopsy found a fast growing malignancy.  Chemo was started in order to
shrink the growth; then mastectomy; then a full round of Chemo; then
radiation.

After about 9 months of intense treatment, she was given a clean bill of
health.  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 just a few days of needing morphine she slipped away saying she had
done what God had sent her into the world to do and now it was her time to
go.

PLEASE be alert to any thing that is not normal.

Her message is shown below:

Paget's Disease: This is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the
outside of the breast, on the nipple and aureola.  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.  Mine started out as a single red pimple on
the aureola.  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?  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 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 au
reola area with a whitish thick looking area in center of 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.

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 s! pread and metastasized to my bones after receiving
mega doses of chemo therapy, 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.