Breast Pagets Disease
Breast pagets disease is a very rare condition that can have serious consequences. There is not a lot known about Pagets breast disease since scientists have been unable to figure out exactly why it occurs. Why is known is the 9 of out 10 women who develop pagets disease of breast can have an underlying cancer. That is why the disease is very serious and women who have pagets disease have to be screened for cancer and treated. There are effective therapies for this disease and women should seek medical help in order to receive treatment
Pagets disease of breast is characterized by an inflammation of the surrounding breast tissue. The skin tends to be very itchy, red, and inflamed. Some women might think they have a problem like contact dermatitis or just a regular rash. People might mistake it for eczema, another type of rash that can be very itchy. There have been cases of women who have applied moisturizers to the skin and cortisone creams in order to make the breast feel better. But these therapies are not going to help pagets breast disease. The skin might feel a little better but the rash is not going to go away. Most of the time the woman is going to get frustrated and is going to end up going to the doctor to see if she can receive another type of therapy. At that time the health professional is going to have to run a bunch of tests to figure out the diagnosis and treatment.
The usual process for someone who is undergoing a diagnosis is to first have a history taken and then follow it by a physical exam. The doctor is going to want to know how long the symptoms have been occurring and what makes them better and worse. He or she is also going to want to know if you have done anything for the problem and if anything has worked or made it worse. If there is pain and other symptoms, the patient should really bring these up to help with the diagnosis.
During the physical exam the doctor is going to examine the breast for lumps and nipple discharge. In many cases of breast cancer there can be both occurring, and that would give the doctor a better idea of what is going on. Usually, a mammogram will be ordered as well. If there are little calcification or other problems on the mammogram that correspond with a lump, that area will have to be biopsied. A biopsy is the most definitive assessment since the tissue shows exactly what is going on and if there is pagets or not.
The breast cancer pagets disease is treatable if it is found early. Usually, the woman will have to have a surgery to excise the area of the breast that is affected. After the surgery, radiation or chemotherapy may be required to completely eliminate the breast cancer pagets disease. With good treatment, breast pagets disease is curable and the woman can return to her normal life.
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