How would you know the difference between Pagets

[gkwilson_99]

breast cancer & eczema? I have a rash that appeared a couple of days ago on my left breast above the nipple. It is a few little red bumps not overly raised or anything that itch and maybe sting but that may be because I have been bothered by it and have rubbed it a little.

[firqby]

Go see a good oncological surgeon or skin doctor and have that looked at. While this implies it is not Pagets since you state that it is above the nipple. However be safe for see a doctor and get it checked. This is not something to wait on. PAGET'S DISEASE:Introduction:Paget's disease of the breast is a rare form of breast cancer in which the first clinical finding is usually scaling of the nipple skin. It may also be associated with nipple redness and burning. The diagnosis of this condition is typically made with a skin biopsy, which shows cells typical of this condition (Paget's cells). The "good news" about Paget's disease is that it is usually a "curable cancer". However, most cases of scaling and burning of the nipple are due to benign conditions which can be easily confused with Paget's disease.Making the Diagnosis:The major goal of this section is to help women (and their physicians) detect the early nipple changes associated with Paget's disease, and to help differentiate them from benign conditions. Making the diagnosis of Paget's disease is actually quite easy. We use a simple skin punch biopsy technique to remove a small piece of tissue from the area of the nipple with the abnormal changes. This procedure takes a few minutes to perform under local anesthesia and is painless. A small amount of skin and underlying tissues is removed and sent to the pathologist. In our experience with hundreds of cases it has proven to be 100% accurate. The first step in evaluating any patient with a change in the skin of the nipple is to obtain a careful history and to perform a careful breast examination, followed by a diagnostic mammogram. When performing a diagnostic mammogram the mammographer is informed about the posibility Paget's disease. Special films look for fine calcifications behind the nipple. If the mammogram is negative and our clinical suspicion is low, we usually suggest that the patient place a cortisone cream on the nipple for two weeks. If the condition has not responded completely to treatment in two weeks, we proceed to a skin punch biopsy. (a word of caution: we have seen cases of Paget's disease in which the mammogram was negative. The patient seemed to respond to treatment, but nipple changes recurred again in a few months. Therefore if a biopsy is not done, careful follow-up is recommended). Our rule of thumb: if in doubt, do a skin biopsy.

www.breastcare.com (http://www.breastcare.com/bcc/research/pagets_disease.asp)